Under the Apple Trees
by Quill Inkwell
Summary: When a certain Pegasus came crashing into his life, Big Macintosh began to realize what his simple life had been missing.  Rated T for some sexually suggestive language in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Standard disclaimer in which I profess no claim of ownership for any of the following characters, settings, etc.

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><p>The light of the setting sun bathed the hills in red and gold, deepening the green leaves and casting long shadows from the trees of Sweet Apple Acres. Big Macintosh gave a languid sigh and smiled. The day had been hot and bright, but it took more than a little heat to give a staunch pony like him pause.<p>

Mac had been plowing fields since the rooster's crow, and he could feel it in his back. He stretched the sore muscles and looked around. Apple Bloom and her little friends were off running through the orchard. "I wonder if those girls are gonna get a cutie mark 'bout trying to earn a cutie mark?" he said to no one in particular.

A faint voice drifted over the farm, accompanied by a ringing triangle. "Soups on, everypony!"

Big Macintosh's smile grew a little wider. Applejack was growing up into a fine young filly, and he was proud as all get out. He slipped back into the plow harness and pulled it back to the barn. His legs ached in a great way. Nothing satisfied him quite like a hard day's work.

As if on cue, his stomach rumbled. "Nothin' works up an appetite like it, neither," he said.

"You talking to yourself again, big brother?" He turned to find Applejack poking her head into the barn.

"Eeyup," he said. He didn't see any reason to elaborate further.

"Well, quit gabbin' at the air and come inside," she told him before vanishing back around the barn door.

"Be right in, little sis," he said. He took a deep breath of the barn air, savoring the smells of hay, wood, and metal tools. The best smell on earth. Then he turned and walked up to the house to join his family for dinner.

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><p>Tired as he was, Big Macintosh couldn't seem to get to sleep. Something had him on edge and, no matter how he tried, he couldn't seem to find a comfortable position in his bed. The moon was high in the sky when he picked his way carefully through the sleeping home of the Apple Family and stepped out into the night air.<p>

The cool breeze lifted his spirits immediately. Whatever was bugging him, he was sure it wasn't anything a good, long walk through the apple trees couldn't fix. He picked a meandering route and started putting one hoof in front of the other. There was nothing in the world like feeling the dirt beneath him.

Sweet Apple Acres was quiet at night, and Big Macintosh liked it that way. He could breathe in the silence and let his brain scratch at whatever was keeping him awake. He pondered it. It felt almost like he was… homesick, or something. But that was ridiculous – his home was behind him, filled to bursting with ponies he loved. He missed Applejack sometimes, when she was off running about, but he was happy Applejack had such good friends. Still, a brother was allowed to miss his little sister now and again.

His reverie was broken when he heard a noise in one of the trees. Leaves rustling, the creak of a branch. He tensed up. Nobody went sneaking through his orchard at night without answering to him. "Who's out there? I'm warnin' you, if you're lookin' to steal some apples, you'd best get on outta here before it gets ugly," he called into the orchard. He didn't raise his voice much, but he never had to. When he spoke, ponies heard him.

Then he heard a branch snap just above his head and had enough time to look up in surprise before a falling shape knocked him to the ground, crying out in a high, squeaky voice the whole time. He shook his head clear and looked around to find a Pegasus pony in a heap in front of him.

He felt his mouth go dry as he took her in. He had seen her around town before, of course, but not like this. The moonlight painted stripes on her light blue coat, the rest darkened by shadow. The bright colors in her tail and mane were subdued by the low light, and made all the more beautiful for it.

He shook himself. Heck, that was Applejack's friend Rainbow Dash he was thinking about! He felt a blush creeping up the back of his neck and was thankful that it probably wouldn't show through his crimson coat. "S'that you, Miss Rainbow?" he said, keeping his voice level.

She laughed and pulled herself to her hooves. "Yeah, it's me," she said. "Sorry for the rough landing, Big Macintosh." She gave him a sheepish grin.

"Weren't nothin'," he said, and tried to rise. Pain seared across his back and he grimaced. He hoped in vain that Rainbow Dash wouldn't notice.

"Oh man, are you okay?" She was at his side in an instant, helping him to a standing position. He gritted his teeth against the pain as he stood, but managed to hold himself up.

"Reckon I pulled something," he said. He worked the muscles in his back and felt them scream in protest. His knees almost buckled, but he tried not to show it. "Yeah, shouldn't be too bad."

"Road apples," Rainbow Dash said back. "You look like a heavy breeze could knock you over."

His blush came back in full force. "I've had worse."

"Well I'm not going to let you tough this out, not when it's my fault."

"You don't need to blame yourself," he said, and gave her his usual half-smile.

"But… but it really _is_ my fault," Rainbow Dash replied, looking down. Big Macintosh had never seen her look quite so vulnerable.

"Just what were you doin', lurkin' in the trees so late at night. It must be close to midnight," he said. He was darn curious, now that he thought about it.

"Oh that," she said with a weak chuckle. "Yeah, I, uh… I bet Applejack that there would be a… um… rainbow apple! Yeah, that's it, a rainbow apple out here in the trees so I…" she trailed off with another uncomfortable laugh.

"You were out here to paint an apple?" He fought to keep a straight face. The way those two competed with one another made him laugh, but he wanted to give her a stern face. "Well, don't you worry 'bout it. Just don't go cheatin', you hear?"

"Now you listen to me, Mac," she said, shoving her face in his. He froze. "It's 'cause of me you got hurt, so I'm gonna help you get better. Now you're coming with me, and that's the end of the discussion."

He swallowed. "Uhh, yes ma'am, Miss Rainbow." The moonlight in her lavender eyes was hypnotizing him. In that moment, he would have done anything she asked. He'd follow her to the ends of the earth, or into a dragon's lair. He'd help her with her stunts, congratulate her whether they were good or not, go back home with her and nuzzle up by a fire with mugs of cocoa…

"Did you hear me?" Rainbow Dash's voice derailed that train of thought before he could start thinking thoughts a gentlecolt didn't think about his little sister's friends.

"Sorry, guess I was a mite distracted," he apologized.

"I said, 'Cut it out with the Miss Rainbow stuff.' Just call me Rainbow, or Dash, or whatever."

"Sure thing, Mi- uhh, sure thing, Dash," he said.

"Now let's go already. It's sort of a long hike, but it's totally worth it. This is the most awesome place in all of Ponyville."

"Where're we goin', exactly?"

"You'll see when we get there. I don't wanna ruin the surprise." She pressed her flank against his and helped him hobble forward. Her wings felt impossibly soft, the feathers silken against his side.

He scolded himself. Sure, he was only a couple years older than Applejack and her friends, but he still didn't feel right fawning over a filly like Rainbow Dash. She was going on about something, but Macintosh didn't really absorb any of it. He just let the sound of her voice flow over and through him as she helped him hobble off towards the woods beyond the orchard.

They walked for the better part of an hour, each halting step sending a new wave of pain through his back. He hoped he wasn't making it worse, but figured that if it was really so bad then he wouldn't be able to walk with it at all. The trees grew tall and dark around them, but Rainbow Dash led him with the confidence of a pony who had done this plenty of times before.

Eventually, they came to a clearing set against a small hill. There was a pile of boulders against the earth wall and at their base, he saw a pool. The water moved gently, but he couldn't see any sort of stream lending it current. "What's this place?" he said.

"It's a hot spring. I saw it from above when we were bringing birds back during the Winter Wrap-Up," she said. "Take a dip in there and it'll get the pain right out of your back." She flashed a wicked grin. "I come here to celebrate after I finish a race."

"Don't you mean 'win a race'?" he said. He thought he knew where this was going, and smiled when she proved him right.

"For me, it's the same thing." She flew up into the air, gave a holler, and let herself fall into the pool. Water splashed over Big Macintosh, a welcome heat against the night air.

He laughed at her carefree antics. The filly loved to have fun, and she was darn good at it. He limped over to the pool's edge and lowered himself into it. The water was shallow enough that he could sit down and still keep his head above water.

It was heavenly. The warmth seeped through his skin and relaxed his muscles, soothing the pain in his back. He noticed half-a-dozen smaller aches that hadn't even registered until they were gone. "That is good," he said, stretching the last word.

"Isn't it just the best?" She backstroked her way over to him, wings spread languidly around her. She gave him an impish upside-down smile. "Hey, I just realized, but we've never really hung out."

"I suppose not," he agreed.

"Why is that?"

"Well," he drawled. "I suppose it's because I'm usually workin' the farm while you're off gettin' my little sister into trouble." He surprised her, and himself, when he splashed a little water into her face.

She spluttered and righted herself. "Ohh, so that's how we're gonna play it, is it?" she said, and splashed him back. He chuckled and gave her another, bigger splash. She started to giggle, and their water fight continued. She used her wings to send a wave crashing over his head and he came back up, laughing and shaking the water out of his mane.

His laugh faded away when he realized how close she had gotten while he was disoriented. "I never noticed before, but you've got freckles." Her eyes were trained on the dots just below his own. The water had plastered her rainbow mane to her skin. It almost seemed to be running like water itself, the way the strands fell down around her face. "They're cute."

She sounded like she was as surprised to be saying it as he was to hear it. "Uhh, thanks, Rainbow," he said softly. She stayed close to his face, her eyes flicking up and down and left and right, as if taking in everything for the first time. He could saw something in those eyes he had never seen on her before: hesitation.

Then, as suddenly as the encounter had begun, it was over. The spell broken, she moved to sit beside him. She barely sat high enough in the water to breathe. "Um… how's your back?" she said, not looking at him.

He moved experimentally. The heat had done wonders, and it barely hurt. "Nothing a good night's rest won't fix. Speakin' of which, it's later than I care to think 'bout."

"Yeah, I guess we should head back, huh?"

"Eeyup."

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><p>(I know that seems like an ending, but I'm not done with this story just yet. Stay tuned for more!)<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Before I get started with the second chapter, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has taken the time to read chapter one. An awful lot of you have added this story to your favorites or watch lists, and I can't tell you how happy it makes me to know people are enjoying my work. And an especially big "thank you!" to Anti-Emo, Hanzo of the Salamander, TwentyPercentCooler, Agentwill63, soul punisher, Sunshine. A, HiAndromon, and StaminaRose for your reviews and your kind words of encouragement. You've all made my week. :D

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><p>Macintosh woke up to the sounds of an argument in full swing outside his bedroom door. "Let the poor boy sleep," said one voice. He recognized Granny Smith's creaky tones.<p>

"But ah need somepony to go to the store with me, an' Applejack is busy!" That could only have been Apple Bloom's twang to the words. Macintosh sighed and rolled out of bed. His back gave a twinge, a reminder of the previous night's injury. The hot water had helped ease the pain, but he was going to have to take it easy for a few days.

Big Macintosh hated taking it easy.

"It's okay, Granny," he said, his voice still a little thick with sleep.

The door to his room creaked open and Granny entered on shaky legs, her walker gripped tight. "Oh, I'm sorry, dear, I didn't mean to wake you," she said. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Right as rain," he said. "Why do you ask?"

"You look like you barely slept a wink last night. And here it is getting on towards lunch time!"

Mac's eyes widened. He had slept much later than he had meant to. Before he could comment on the fact, Apple Bloom all but bounced into the room.

"Good, yer awake!" she said. "Will you go to town with me? I gotta pick up some things fer our next cutie mark attempt."

"Well," he drawled, "I dunno." Apple Bloom looked heartbroken. "I seem to recall somepony gettin' taught her manners, and I'd be happy to take that little pony into town."

She looked confused, and then her eyes lit up. "Ohh, please please please please please please?" Each 'please' was longer than the one that came before it.

Mac couldn't help chuckling. "Ohh, there she is. Let me get cleaned up a bit, and then we can head out. Sound good?"

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you," Apple Bloom chanted. She turned and skipped out the door, still chanting.

"I'm surprised she talked you out of an afternoon in the fields," Granny Smith said. His attention had been so focused on Apple Bloom that Macintosh had almost forgotten she was there.

"Truth is, Granny, I hurt my back a bit yesterday, so I'm in no shape to be pullin' a plow at any rate," he said. "But I'll make up for lost time, don't you doubt."

Granny made a clucking noise. "You get that stubbornness from your pa," she said. "And you know where he got it from?"

"From you?"

"You're darn tootin' from me!" She laughed a dusty laugh and then turned to go, her walker squeaking all the way down the hall. Macintosh sauntered down the hall to a washroom and gave himself a once-over. The pony that stared back at him was barely recognizable. His mane was a mess and there were circles under his eyes.

"Better not let Applejack see you like that," he said to his reflection. "She won't let you hear the end of it." He filled the sink with cold water and splashed some onto his face.

He shook the water off of his face and left his room, his movements stiff but almost entirely painless. That spring Rainbow Dash had taken him to really did the trick.

Rainbow Dash. The thought of her brought the whole night back to him. The way her voice had gone soft with concern when she saw him hurt. The way she had looked at him when they had sat together in the hot spring. The way that homesick feeling had vanished the moment he laid eyes on her. He wondered if he would see her in town, and hoped that would be the case. Even just seeing her from afar would be something.

"Apple Bloom," he called out. "You about ready to get going?" He made his way to the front room and stood off to the side of the door. Sweet Apple Acres was, as always, in a state of barely-contained chaos. Ponies were coming and going, strains of half-a-dozen conversations floating by.

"Howdy, Mac," called a pony across the room. It was Red Delicious, his blue mane bobbing as he made his way over to Big Macintosh's side. "To hear Granny Smith tell it, yer gonna to be laid up fer weeks." He poked his cousin in the side. "But you don't look like you should be on yer death bed."

"Just tweaked my back," Mac replied. Word traveled fast around the Apple family house, but it didn't always get where it was going intact. "Shouldn't trouble me more than a couple days."

"Well, you take it easy, now. You get yourself laid up durin' applebuck season and there's gonna be hell to pay. What're you doin' up and about?"

"Apple Bloom's lookin' for a hand gettin' some stuff from town, so I told her I'd help her out," he said. "And come harvest time, I'll teach you the meanin' of applebuckin'."

Red smiled and opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, Apple Bloom tugged on Big Macintosh's leg. He looked down at his littlest sister. "You didn't forget, did ya'?" She said. Her eyes were huge and sad, like they always were when she was afraid she wouldn't be getting her way.

"Not a chance, sugarcube," he drawled. He looked back up to Red Delicious. "Sorry, Red, but I'd hate to make this one wait."

"Sure, sure," Red replied. "You two take care." Mac nodded, then turned and walked slowly out of the house. He always had to slow his stride for Apple Bloom to keep up, her tiny legs taking four steps for each one of his own massive ones.

"You haven't called me 'sugarcube' since I was a little pony," Apple Bloom said.

"I reckon you're still a little pony," Mac teased. It always got to his sister when ponies made reference to her stature.

"You know what ah mean," she pouted. "It's just been a long while. Why'd you start again?"

"Guess I'm just in a good mood," he said. It was true, he realized. His heart was light and he didn't feel even a little guilty about not doing any work on the farm for the day.

"Why're you in a good mood?" She looked up at him as they walked along, her head cocked suspiciously to one side. "Most ponies get all sour when they're hurt."

He wanted to tell her. It was peculiar – he didn't want to tell anypony about what had happened the night before, not until he was sure he understood it himself, but he wanted to tell Apple Bloom. "Aww, shucks," he said. "I never could keep anythin' from you. Can you keep a secret?"

"Cross mah heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in mah eye!" she said, bouncing excitedly.

"What in tarnation does that mean?"

"It's a Pinkie Pie thing," Apple Bloom said by way of explanation.

Mac grunted. Now that was one odd pony. Nice enough, but darned odd. He took a deep breath. "Well, I went for a walk last night, an – are you sure I'm not borin' you?"

"Tell me tell me tell me tell me!"

He laughed. "Like I said, I was out walkin' last night, when a filly crashed right into me. Maybe she knocked somethin' loose, but when I looked up and saw her, it was like everythin' stopped. Like the whole orchard closed over us, and it was just me and her. Ah, but you don't care about this mushy stuff, do you?"

"If you don't hurry up an' tell me, Ahm gonna tell Granny Smith you were pickin' on me," Apple Bloom huffed.

Big Macintosh chuckled and got his bearings. They were making good time, and Ponyville was drawing close. "Well, she felt awful bad about crashin' into me—that's how my back got hurt—so she showed me a hot spring a little ways out into the woods and we spent a some time talkin' and soakin' in the hot water."

"Was it anypony I know?" Apple Bloom looked as if the excitement was going to make her shake right out of her skin. "Oh! Oh! Was it Fluttershy? Because me an' Sweetie Belle have a bet, an' Ah think you two would be the cutest."

"Nope, wasn't Fluttershy." He looked from side to side in exaggerated caution, then leaned down to whisper in his sister's ear. "It was Rainbow Dash."

Apple Bloom gasped. "Oh. Mah. Gosh. Really?"

"Eeyup. Sure as you and me are standin' here."

"Ah can't believe it! Are you datin' now?"

Mac scuffed a hoof on the ground as they walked. "Well, it ain't that simple," he said.

"Why not? Doesn't she like you back?"

He thought about it. "I suppose I'm not sure," he said. It had seemed like she might have liked him, but how much was he imagining? "I don't really have a lot of experience with the fillies," he said.

"A big, strappin' guy like you? I'm surprised girls weren't beatin' down our door." She said it with such confidence that it gave him pause. She had the sort of unshaking faith in him that you only saw when a little filly talked about her big brother.

"I just never put any time into lookin' for love," he said. "Sweet Apple Acres was always the most important thing in my life, and I just never felt like there was anything missin'."

"Well love's come lookin' fer you," Apple Bloom replied. "An' you'd better figure out what yer gonna do about it." It was wise advice, and Mac was surprised to hear it coming from such a little mouth.

"I reckon you're right," he said. "I'll talk to her about it soon."

"You'd better, 'cause ah don't think ah can keep this from Scootaloo for long."

"Now, you promised you weren't gonna tell anypony," he said sternly.

"Ahm not gonna," Apple Bloom said. "But she's gonna flip when Ah can tell her."

Mac steered the conversation in a more casual direction. He asked Apple Bloom how school was going, asked what their next scheme was (her lips were sealed on the matter), and offered her some brotherly advice about getting her cutie mark. She wasn't going to listen, but he figured it was his job as kin to repeat it anyways.

"First stop is the hardware store," Apple Bloom said as they walked past the first handful of buildings on the edge of town. They made their way down the road, Macintosh nodding politely at any pony he made eye contact with. The streets were busy with ponies going about their business.

The duo arrived at the hardware store and Apple Bloom turned to Macintosh. "Do you want to come in with me?" she said.

Big Macintosh stretched. The sun was warm on his back and was soothing some of the stiffness out of his muscles. "Nah, I think I'll stay out here, if it's all the same to you," he said. "This sunshine feels mighty good."

"Okie dokie," she said. "Ah might be a little bit. Want to meet up over at the café?"

"Sounds like a plan," he said.

"Who knows, maybe yer gonna run into yer girlfriend," Apple Bloom said, stretching the last word out. Then she darted inside before Mac could take any kind of retaliation.

Macintosh turned to head for the café. It was about time he got some lunch anyways. Before he had fully turned around, there was an impact. He stumbled backwards, but managed to keep his feet. The pony he had collided with hadn't been so lucky. Twilight Sparkle went down in a heap, the book she had been reading as she walked tumbling to the ground.

"Shucks, I'm real sorry, Miss Twilight," Mac said, helping her back to her feet.

"Oh no, it was entirely my fault. I was so caught up in my book I wasn't watching where I was going," she said. She used her magic to lift the book up off the ground and slip it into a saddlebag. "What brings you to town? I feel like I hardly ever see you wandering about."

"Oh, Apple Bloom wanted somepony to come with her to pick up some things for her next cutie mark attempt," he said. "I'm along for the ride."

"I hope it's something a little less dangerous than last time. Spike still jumps every time he hears a rooster crow." She winced at the memory. "Those girls are dedicated, I've got to give them that."

"Eeyup, they sure are," he replied.

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. Twilight shuffled in place a little. "Well," she said, "I guess I'll be going. See you around, Big Macintosh."

"So long," he said. She started walking off, but Mac called after her. "Actually…" he trailed off, not sure how to phrase the question that was on his mind. "Have you seen Rainbow Dash around?"

"Yeah, she's napping on a cloud not far from here. Why do you ask?"

"I was hopin' to talk to her while I was here in town."

"What did she do? Stirring stuff up out at Sweet Apple Acres?"

"You could certainly say that," he said, one corner of his mouth quirking up in a smile.

"Oh, well, good luck with your talk," she said.

"Thank you kindly, Miss Twilight." She turned and continued on her way, the book already floating out of her bag and back in front of her eyes. Macintosh began ambling down the road, his eyes to the sky. Apple Bloom would be a little while, and he figured he had time to track down Rainbow Dash for a little chat.

It didn't take him long to spot Rainbow's tail hanging off the side of a cloud. He didn't really understand why the Pegasus slept in the sky like that – the idea of floating along without the earth under him made him uncomfortable. He cleared his throat.

"Mmmmm," came a groan from above. "Go away," Rainbow Dash said. Her tired voice sounded full of morning for some lost dream.

"Didn't get much sleep last night?" he said, a smile in his voice.

Rainbow Dash poked her head over the edge and looked down at him. There were circles under her eyes, which were still half-closed with sleep. In the bright light of day he could see that they were closer to the rich color of a rose in full bloom than they were the lavender he had thought them the night before. They were striking either way. "Oh, hey Mac," she said. She yawned loudly. "What's up?"

"I was hopin' maybe you and me could talk," he said. Her eyes didn't show any recognition. "Y'know, about… last night?"

She blinked a couple times, visibly clearing her mind. "Sure, what did you want to talk about?" She propped her head up on her front hooves.

Big Macintosh glanced around at the ponies passing by. "You mind comin' down here?"

"No problem," she said. With a few graceful flaps of her wings, she lighted down beside him.

"I appreciate it," he said. He looked around again, unsure of how to begin. "I, uh… well, the thing is, I… last night, I sort of thought… aw, heck, I'm no good at this sort of thing," he finished lamely.

She laughed. "Spit it out, already."

He took a deep breath. "After last night I got to thinkin' and, well, I think I sorta like you. I mean, y'know, not just as a friend, but maybe somethin' more than that. And I know you might not feel the same way, but-"

She cut him off with a kiss. It wasn't a long kiss, but it more than made up for it with intensity. His eyes shot open, then fluttered closed. Electricity ran up and down his spine, tingled across his skin, and lit his mind up like the rising sun. They parted. "You're cute when you're flustered," she said, her mouth still inches from his.

"What in the name of all that is good is goin' on here?" The voice cut through the moment, breaking it like glass. Macintosh looked up to see Applejack, a basket of apples dropped and forgotten at her feet.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Once again, a huge "thank you" to everyone who gave me a review or added my story to their favorites. I tried to give a personal reply to every review I got, but it's possible I missed someone (I'm scatterbrained like that). If I did, I'm terribly sorry. When we last left our hero, he was staring an awkward situation dead in the face…

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><p>Macintosh took a step towards his sister. "Now, don't go-"<p>

Applejack didn't let him finish. "Just what are you doin' kissin' on one of my friends?" she said. Her voice was thick with shock and anger. "And without even tellin' me first!"

"Like he needs your permission?" Rainbow Dash put in.

"Now, everypony just calm down," Mac said. They weren't having any of it.

"Uh, lemme think about that – of course he does," Applejack said through grinding teeth. "Y'don't just go after your sister's friends without talkin' with her." She turned her ire back to Macintosh. "And aren't you a bit _old_ to be smoochin' fillies my age?"

"C'mon, AJ, you know I'm only a couple years older than y'all," Mac said, but Rainbow Dash cut in before Applejack could respond.

"What makes you so sure it was his idea?" She put a hoof on either side of Mac's face, turned him towards her, and kissed him again.

He pulled away. "Whoa there," he said. "Not that it wasn't nice, but this ain't the time for-"

"That is it, you… you… hussy!" Applejack pounced, tackling Rainbow Dash to the ground. The two quickly become a spinning mess of flailing hooves.

"Hey, come on, there ain't a need for that," Macintosh said. If they heard him, they didn't say anything. "I said hey, knock it off." No response. He narrowed his eyes. It was a cold day in hell, the day somepony ignored Big Macintosh when he had something to say. "Will you two cut it out?" he bellowed, his voice booming.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack froze mid-fight, both staring at him. He took a deep breath and looked around in the sudden silence. A small crowd had gathered, all of them looking in slack-jawed amazement at his outburst. "Now look here, AJ," he said. "You're my little sis. I love you, and I'm sorry you're upset. We can have this out to your heart's content, but don't you go makin' a scene in front of everypony in town. I know Granny Smith did a better job raisin' you than that."

Applejack averted her gaze, ashamed. "Sorry, Big Macintosh," she said. She looked back up at him. "I just saw you and Rainbow, and I just… it was a shock. I didn't think you and one of my friends-"

"You keep bringin' up how she's your friend, but it ain't about you, Applejack. I've taken a shine to Rainbow Dash, and I came over to talk to her about it," he said. She opened her mouth to reply, but he held up a hoof to silence her. "And frankly, you don't get a say in who I do or do not kiss."

"What he said," Rainbow Dash said with smug victory in her voice.

"And you," Macintosh said, turning his eyes onto her. "I like you, but don't go pullin' a stunt like that again. If you're gonna kiss me, do it because you wanna and not to make a point." It was her turn to look away. "And try to be a little more sensitive towards AJ – she could have reacted better, sure, but that ain't a reason to egg her on.

"If this is somethin' that the two of you need to talk out, then do it, but promise me you're gonna be civil," he finished. Then he turned away from them and walked back towards the hardware store. His back twitched in pain, but he ignored it.

He could hear the sounds of hushed conversation from all around him. He looked up to see clumps of ponies whispering and looking at him. "Y'all need help with something?" he shouted. Guilt welled up the minute he realized what he had done, but he was too angry to apologize.

Apple Bloom was waiting outside the hardware store. "What was all that yellin' about?" she asked, her eyes shining with tears.

"Don't you worry about it," he said, putting as much compassion as he could into his voice. He picked up the bag that was sitting on the ground next to her and hung it off of the collar he always wore, whether he needed it for the day's work or not. "I'm gonna make for home," he said, "if you think you can manage on your own."

"Ah… Ah guess so," she said. "Is somethin' wrong?"

"Just tired, sugarcube," he said. "Just really darned tired."

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><p>Big Macintosh walked home, alone with his thoughts. What had set Applejack off like that? A little part of him had thought that she'd be happy to see him getting on so well with one of her friends, but she was really upset. He sighed. It seemed like he had been doing a lot of sighing lately.<p>

"Is that what havin' feelings for somepony is like?" he mused. "I'm not so sure that was a good idea." But he couldn't have just ignored his feelings for Rainbow Dash. It wasn't his way, and he knew it wouldn't have been good for him. "Wish it were simpler, I suppose," he said.

"Do you always talk to yourself?" said a female voice from one side.

Mac's eyes widened as he whirled to see who had spoken. A gray Pegasus was keeping pace with him, wobbling slightly. She gave him a huge smile, and he noticed that her eyes were drifting in different directions.

"Now you're not saying anything at all," she said with a frown. Then her expression brightened again. "Ooh! Maybe you can't talk when there are other ponies around? Stomp once for yes and twice for no!"

"I can talk just fine," he said. "Sorry, you just took me by surprise, Miss… uh… I'm sorry, can I help you with somethin'?"

"Just saw you walking and thought, 'Hey, isn't that Big Macaroon?' So I flew down closer and it totally _was_ you, and I thought, 'Does he have any mail?' So I checked and it turns out you totally _do _have mail!" She spun in a few aerial circles, trying to get at the bag slung over her back. Macintosh watched, bemused.

Finally, she got into the bag and pulled out a letter. "See? One letter for Big Macaroni!" She passed it over to him. It wasn't really a letter, so much as a folded piece of paper with his name scribbled hastily on it.

"The name's Macintosh," he said, looking back up. The boss-eyed Pegasus was gone. "This has been one of the weirder days I've had," he said. Better to find out what the note was all about than dwell on Ponyville's peculiar postal Pegasus. The note was short and simple:

"Sorry about earlier – I got all confrontational over nothing. Can we talk later? Same meet up as last night?" It was signed "Dash." Below the signature was a post-script that simply read, "If you don't show, I'll hunt you down."

He smiled. That filly had fire in her. The smile vanished as soon as it had come. He was in for a really uncomfortable chat with his little sister. But there was no helping it.

The rest of the hike passed uneventfully and, by the time he had gotten back to Sweet Apple Acres he felt awful about his behavior. What kind of brother gets all huffy and leaves his littlest sister to fend for herself? He kicked himself. Maybe he deserved whatever Applejack gave him.

He went to his room to take a nap, in the hope that some sleep might clear his mind and calm him down. It wouldn't come.

The sun sank, stretching the shadows across his walls and floor. Occasional hoofsteps echoed dully through the house. He wasn't sure how much time had passed before his door creaked open. There was the sound of hooves on wooden floor, then a voice beside him said, "I ain't any good at this, so I'm just gonna say it. I'm sorry." It was Applejack, and her words surprised him.

He opened one green eye to look at her. She wasn't looking at him, opting instead to focus on the wood grain of the floor. He got out of bed and stood in front of her. He always forgot what a little filly she was, compared to him. If her size matched her spirit, she'd have to sleep in the barn. He smiled at the thought. "Naw, don't you worry over it," he said. "I never should have lost my temper with you like I did."

"But you were right," she said. She looked up at him, then away. "I never shoulda lost my mind the way I did. If you like Rainbow Dash, well… it's gonna be weird for me, but I think I can be happy for you."

He pressed against her affectionately. She returned the pressure. "That's all I want, AJ."

She backed away from him. That sort of show of affection wasn't something she did often, and she didn't seem to be terribly used to it. Her expression took on a look of mock seriousness. "Just don't you go makin' an aunt outta me," she warned.

Heat rushed into Macintosh's neck and face. He spluttered for a response, but none was forthcoming. Applejack laughed. "You're too easy, y'know that?" She sobered up again. "Do what feels right, big brother, and don't let me or anypony else stop you."

"Thanks, sis," he said. She nodded and turned, walking out of the room. He settled himself back onto his bed, sleep slipping towards him.

Applejack stuck her head back around the corner. "Oh, and if you hurt her, I'll kick the cutie mark right off your flank," she threatened. "Pleasant dreams!"

* * *

><p>Macintosh woke to a tapping at his window. He grunted and rolled over to see what was going on. His eyes sprang open upon seeing Rainbow Dash hovering on the other side of the glass. She tapped again, impatient.<p>

He rose to his feet and crossed to the window, sliding it open. "Did Derpy get lost on her way out here?" she said, coming in through the window.

"Is that the mailpony's name?" he said. You learned something new every day. "Naw, It's my fault," he said. "I fell asleep and didn't realize how late it was getting."

"Eh, it happens," she said, waving a hoof dismissively. She grinned wickedly. " I told you I'd hunt you down. Can we talk here? Or should we go walk around the orchard?"

"I reckon we should be fine in here," he said. "Just make sure you're whisperin'."

She nodded and spoke in a low voice. "So…" she began. "Today sure was weird, right?"

"Eeyup," he said. Weird was definitely a word for it. "I'm mighty sorry if I caused any strife between you and AJ."

"No sweat. If we weren't fighting over something, I don't know what we'd talk about." Mac smiled at her flippant tone. "When did you… y'know…"

"Take a likin' to you?"

"Yeah, that."

"Last night," he said. "it was the first time we really spent any time together, and… well, I felt somethin'. Somethin' nice."

"I guess I didn't really think about it, but yeah," she said. "I always knew you were around, but it never really occurred to me to talk to you." She stretched her wings and shuffled in place. "I'm glad I finally did."

"I am too. When you were takin' me out to that hot spring, I saw the pony behind all the bravado, and she was a filly I wanted to get to know better. And then today, with that whole thing in town. When you… well…"

"You mean when I kissed you?" she said. Her voice, low and soft, send a tingle down his spine. He relished it. "Sorry, I guess that must have seemed sorta random."

"It was sure welcome," he said, looking away. "It might not have been exactly how I was imaginin' it, but I'm mighty glad you did it. Truth told, I wasn't sure how you felt about me."

"After last night? I was crushin' hard." He felt a swell of joy at her words. She giggled, a sound much cuter than any he had expected out of the brash Pegasus. "It was your freckles," she explained. "I mean, let's face it: you're one sexy pony." He flushed so hard he was sure he'd glow in the dark. "Big, strong, and the way your mane looks wet could melt the iciest of ice queens. But it was those adorable freckles that made me start thinking about there being more than that."

The silence stretched, filling the entire room. Finally, he spoke in a low, surprised whisper. "Sexy?"

"Psh, yeah. You should hear some of the things Vinyl Scratch has to say about you."

"Who?"

"DJ PON-3?" He shook his head. "She's a dj. Spins the sickest beats in Equestria. The way she talks about you, she could make my galpal Gilda blush."

He didn't know what to say. He supposed he looked decent enough. Nopony who did as much manual labor as him could be too much of a slouch. But it had never occurred to him that anypony in town would think he was sexy.

"I didn't break you, did I?" Rainbow Dash whispered, a teasing edge in her voice.

"Sorry," he managed. "Just surprised, is all."

"See, that's another thing I'm really starting to like about you," she said. "You don't care what anypony thinks. And I don't mean, like, you don't care if they like you or not. You literally just never think about it."

"I suppose that's true," he said. "I reckon I don't spend much time thinkin' about anything that isn't out at Sweet Apple Acres." The house settled with a creak, and both ponies flinched. Macinosh looked towards his door. "Maybe you ought to get goin' before Granny Smith hears somethin' an gets the wrong idea."

When he turned back, Rainbow's face was inches from his. "Who says it'd be the wrong idea?" she said, her voice smoky with… Macintosh gulped. It could only be lust. Then she was kissing him, and he lost his train of thought.

Their lips moved in sync, heat rising between them. Mac's entire body tingled with barely contained energy. He pressed closer to her, and she replied in kind. They broke for a moment, and he could see lightning in her eyes. "In case you're wondering," she said, slightly out of breath, "I'm doing this because I want to, not to make a point."

Then their lips met again, and the entire world fell away.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Sorry for making you all wait so long- I feel horrible about it. I wish I could say that the longer wait means a longer chapter, but I'm afraid classes and work have really been kicking my butt. Hopefully I can do more writing, now that I'm getting a feel for how the semester will go. As always, a huge "thank you" to everyone who has encouraged me to keep going. I really hope you guys know how much it means to me. But enough of that- on to the story!

* * *

><p>Macintosh awoke with a start, bright sunlight streaming in through his open window. He wasn't sure what had woken him. The whole world seemed to be resting, without so much as a breeze stirring his open curtains. He stretched languidly, his heavy muscles seeming to sigh. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept so well.<p>

Everything came back in a rush. The previous day, with all of its arguing and kissing, filled him with a mix of emotions that was as confusing as it was powerful. The previous night came back to him in full, and he blushed at the thought of it. He thought of where it could have gone, and turned a darker scarlet.

He had managed to insist through the fog of desire that they not go any farther than kissing, and Rainbow Dash had reluctantly agreed. Everything had just moved so fast, up until that point, and he wasn't usually the sort to rush in. Had it really all been one day? It seemed impossible that 24 short hours could have encompassed so much.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and climbed out of bed. His back was almost back to normal, and he smiled at the thought. It must not have been as bad as it had felt, two nights prior. He would take it slow, he decided, but there wasn't any reason he couldn't do some work around Sweet Apple Acres. The thought put a spring into his step and helped him set aside the memory of his… intimate encounter with Rainbow Dash.

He made his way down to the kitchen and set about making breakfast. He wasn't a great cook, not like Granny Smith or even Applejack, but he knew his way around a saucepan. He whistled an old working song as he chopped apples and threw them into a pot. A little water, a little butter, and a whole mess of cinnamon and brown sugar followed them in.

"Howdy, Macintosh," Applejack said, walking bleary-eyed through the kitchen door.

"Mornin' sis," he said back, breaking off his tune. "You hungry?" He stirred the contents of the pot, coating the apple slices in cinnamon and brown sugar and setting it onto the stove.

"I reckon I could eat," she said. "You need any help?"

"Nope," he said. "Hard part's over, just got to let it cook for a spell." He turned to look at her and saw her staring quizzically at him. "Need somethin'?"

"Nope. Well, not exactly," she said. "I just… is everything okay? You never make cinnamon apples for breakfast. Heck, you hardly ever have anything but a big bowl of oats."

"Somethin' need to be wrong for me to treat my family?" he said. He prodded the apples with a fork and, finding them soft, took them off the heat. "Or did you think I was going to eat all this myself?"

"I've seen a pony half your size put away twice as much," she said. "One of them Wonderbolts Rainbow Dash is all gaga over."

Macintosh's ears perked up. "Wonderbolts? You mean that showy flight team? When did y'all meet them?"

"The Grand Galloping Gala, out in Canterlot," Applejack said. "Don't you remember, I packed up the apple cart and took it all the way there for nothin'?"

Now that he thought about it, it did sound familiar. "You never did say much about how that went. You got one of those fancy-schmancy to buy somethin' off the cart? Heck, that right there is good word-of-mouth."

"Yeah," she said. "Pegasus by the name of Soarin. Bought an apple pie and wolfed it down in less time than it took me to hand it over." There was a wistful tone in her voice. Big Macintosh glanced at her, and saw a faint pinkness showing on her cheeks.

He smiled and went back to his work. There would be plenty of time to pester his sister about that blush after breakfast. "Mind runnin' and tellin' Apple Bloom I made breakfast? I owe her one heck of an apology, and I reckon this is a good place to start."

"Sure thing," Applejack said. She turned and trotted out of the room as Big Macintosh filled three bowls with cinnamon apples. He put the now-empty saucepan into the sink and filled it with water, leaving it to soak. He was setting the bowls onto the dining table when the faint sound of hoofsteps broke the morning silence. The sound quickly rose in volume until Apple Bloom came tearing into the room.

"Hey there, kiddo," he said. He ruffled her mane with a hoof.

She giggled, but pushed him away. "Ah told you b'fore not to call me that," she insisted. "I'm almost a grown up!"

"I reckon that's so," he said. Applejack sauntered back into the room and took a spot at the table. "And since you're such a big pony," he continued, "it's time I treated you like one. So I'm apologizin' for yesterday."

Applebloom looked up, tearing her gaze from the bowls that still steamed a little. "What d'you mean?" she said.

"Wasn't right of me to leave you like that," he said. "I was in a state, but that's no excuse to be rude. Especially not to family." He nudged one of the bowls towards here. "Consider this a peace offering. Forgive me?"

"O'course I do!" she said, and buried her face in her food. She all but inhaled the cinnamon apples with sounds of delight. "Thanks fer breakfast!" Her muzzle was smeared with brown sugar and cinnamon. He smiled at her and opened his mouth to mention the mess, but she scampered out of the room before he had a chance.

"I never saw a filly with such little legs move so quick," he said with a laugh.

"Not without a scooter beneath her," Applejack agreed. "Y'know she wasn't mad at you, right?"

"I don't reckon it matters much," he said. "I did her wrong, so I apologized."

Applejack took a bite of breakfast, chewed, and swallowed. "It's really that simple for you, ain't it?" she said, looking at her brother.

"Shouldn't it be?"

* * *

><p>Big Macintosh slipped out of the plow and stretched, his back twinging in protest. He shook sweat from his mane and turned towards the setting sun. Time spent in the fields hadn't helped his back any, but it had done wonders for his state of mind.<p>

He had spent the entire day plowing rows for a new part of the orchard, but part of his mind had been on Rainbow Dash. He wanted to back up and do things properly, and he thought he had some idea as to how he was going to go about it.

"Hey there, Macintosh," called Twilight Sparkle. She was walking along the road towards the farmhouse.

"Howdy, Miss Twilight," he shouted back. He sauntered towards her, hiding a wince as he started moving. His back was stiffening up, now that the work was done. "I was just about to come lookin' for you."

"Oh? What can I do for you?" she said. She looked concerned, and he could guess why. Last she had seen him had been moments before his major lapse in judgment the day before.

Macintosh smiled his most disarming smile, and Twilight relaxed visibly. She blinked a few, rapid blinks, and ducked her head a little. "Well, I reckon you heard about everything that happened yesterday," he said. "About me and Rainbow Dash?"

She smiled, but it was an uncomfortable thing. Like she wasn't sure how she was supposed to respond. "Yes, I um… I heard," she said. "I was actually just on my way out to see if you needed to talk to anypony about it. I'm sorry that it went so roughly for you."

"Thanks for your concern," he said. "There were certainly some parts that could have gone a mite smoother, but everyhin' worked out okay," he said.

"Oh?" she said. Then her face fell just a little. "Oh. So you and Rainbow are… together?"

"Eeyup," he said, nodding once. "And I wanna do somethin' special for her. I dunno what to expect, but if she and I wind up havin' somethin' real, I wanna start it off right."

"Did you have anything in mind?" Twilight said, her interests piqued.

"I had an idea, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to pull it off. That's why I need your help. See, AJ told me that Dash was into that flight group, the Wonderbolts. They're from Canterlot, right?"

"Well, they travel all over Equestria, but yes, they are based in Canterlot," she said. "Were you thinking of taking her to one of their shows?"

"Eeyup. Only thing is, I don't know if they've got any comin' up. Any chance you know?"

"Not off the top of my head," she said. "But I can ask around and see?" she offered.

"That'd be mighty kind of you, Miss Twilight," he said graciously. "Fact of the matter is, I've never done this sorta thing before, so I'm really tryin' to make sure it's a first date Dash won't soon forget."

Twilight smiled. "Well, it sounds like a great idea. I'll let you know as soon as I find anything out," she said. "And you don't have to call me 'Miss.' In fact, I'm sure that none of Applejack's friends would mind. Even though it is sort of endear- uhh, I mean… quaint?"

Big Macintosh chuckled. "I do appreciate it," he said, and gave her hoof a firm shake.

"It's really no trouble," she said. "I've always sort of wondered why we never really spoke, with you being Applejack's brother and all. It's high time we became better friends. I think I'm going to be heading back to town for now, though."

"You sure? I reckon AJ is around here somewhere, if you wanted to stop and say hello."

"Oh, no, I'm sure she's quite busy. I'll just be going now, bye!" She turned back the way she had come and set off at a quick pace.

"Twilight, wait!" he called, moving to follow her. She froze. "Is everything all right?" he said as he came up beside her. "You look like you've got somethin' on your mind."

The smile she gave him was wistful. "Yeah, everything's fine," she said. "But thank you for asking."

He stared at her with pursed lips, then nodded. "Well, if you're sure you're okay, I won't keep you. But if we're friends now, then I want you to know I'm the sorta friend you can talk to."

She laughed. He certainly hadn't seen that coming. "It's really nothing," she said. "But if I ever need a stallion's point of view, I'll keep you in mind."

"All right," he said. "Take care of yourself, now."

"You as well," she said. He watched her head down the road. He liked the idea of getting to know Twilight Sparkle and all the rest a little better. Macintosh was glad his little sister had such great friends looking after her when he wasn't there to do it.

He turned to head back up to the house, but his back spasmed and he staggered a step to the side. A low groan of pain slipped out of his clenched jaw. Working all day had been a mistake. He should have known it would be, but the excitement of getting back to work had blinded him to the possibility he might make his back worse.

Big Macintosh ground his teeth. He couldn't just stand there like a scarecrow all night. The walk back to the house was excruciating, each step twisting in his back. He limped back towards the door that seemed thousands of miles away. It took him the better part of half an hour to make the painful trek, and the sun had fully set by the time he made it inside.

He stood in the entryway on shaky legs. "Applejack?" he called into the dim room. "Hey, AJ!" he said, louder.

His sister's voice rang down from the second floor. "What is it, Big Macintosh?" she shouted.

"Can you come here a second?" he shouted back.

She didn't answer, but he could hear the sound of her hooves on the wooden floor. "What's up," she said, but froze when she saw Macintosh. His mane was wet with sweat, streaks of it darkening his coat, and he seemed to shake on his hooves. "What in tarnation happened to you?" she said, her voice soft with worry. She rushed to his side and leaned into it, helping him keep his hooves.

"Reckon I should have rested a few more days," he said. He leaned heavily against her, letting her relieve some of the pressure from his back. The small relief it gave him was like a drug.

"That's just like you," Applejack scolded. "Always in such a hurry to get back to work, when you knew full well I could handle things around the farm. Let's get you into bed, then I'm gonna go get you a doctor."

"You don't mean that crazy pony that fancies himself a time traveler, do you?" Macintosh said. He didn't think that was the case, but the last thing he needed was Whooves shining that darn blue flashlight of his in Mac's face.

"Of course not. I'm gonna go fetch Nurse Redheart. Now shut your trap and let's get you into your bed." He nodded his assent and limped, with her help, into his bedroom and up onto the mattress. It took him a few tries to find a comfortable position, but he managed to lay in a way that didn't hurt too badly.

"Isn't it a bit late to be botherin' Nurse Redheart?" Macintosh said. "Everypony needs a good night's sleep, you know."

"I do know, but I know how important it is to get you looked at too. If it's somethin' worse than a pulled muscle, you could mess yourself up somethin' fierce, leavin' it untreated like that."

He wanted to argue the point further, but anypony who knew Applejack knew that would have been an effort in futility. Instead, he pulled his blankets up, wincing as he did so. Applejack pushed him gently back to the bed and tucked him in.

He flushed a furious red. It was humiliating, getting put to bed like some little colt who had school in the morning. "I think I can manage my own bedsheets, AJ," he said.

"Don't go getting' all macho on me," she said. She kissed him lightly on the forehead. "You might fool everypony else, you might even fool yourself, but there ain't no persuadin' your sister Applejack that there ain't a soft spot to you. I've seen the way you look at Apple Bloom when you think nopony's lookin'. You get that same far-off smile Pa used to get."

"I just don't need you takin' care of me like that," he said.

"Everypony needs someone takin' care of them, sometimes," she said. "You told me as much last applebuck season, or have you forgotten?"

He hadn't, but the thought did little to sooth his wounded pride. "I just hate bein' too weak to look after myself."

Applejack shook her head. "You ain't weak," she said. "You're hurt. All I'm tryin' to do is take care of you until you're back into workin' shape. Just let me, okay?" Macintosh met her eyes and held them, but didn't say anything. "Will you let me help you?"

Finally, he spoke. "I… I reckon I can do that," he managed. The words were bitter, but he forced them out. "But I'm going to make it up to you, don't doubt."

"You don't have to," Applejack said.

"No." He didn't raise his voice, but the word punched a hole in the dim silence of his room. "No, I do. I can let a pony do me a favor, but I can't accept charity. Not even from family." His eyes bored into hers, and she blinked at his intensity.

"Uh… yeah, okay then," she said. She walked over to the door, then looked back at him over her shoulder. "Stay comfy, big brother."


	5. Chapter 5

A big thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, or subscribed to this story. You guys have been really patient with me, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. I could give you all sorts of reasons for my slow pace, and if you're curious feel free to send me a PM about it, but I don't want to prattle on here forever.

I hate that I have to do this, but apparently it's necessary. Someone on DeviantArt copied and pasted the first chapter of my story onto his or her page and claimed that he or she had written it. I asked that it be taken down, and it was, but for future reference: **I have not posted this story anywhere else on the Internet.** I might submit it to Equestria Daily when I've finished it, and if I do, I'll say so on here. But until or unless that happens: if you see Under the Apple Trees somewhere that isn't here, it was plagiarized. Please let me know where you found it. On that note, a huge thank-you to earthrise for cluing me in.

But enough with the serious stuff! Onward, dear readers!

* * *

><p>The ground flew past in a blur as Big Macintosh flapped his wings harder, picking up speed. Flying was the most liberating feeling in the world. He pulled up and looked around, taking in the sights, his red-feathered wings flapping lazily. Ponyville was laid out below him. There was Sugarcube Corner, looking for all the world like the gingerbread houses he and AJ used to make with Granny Smith when the ground was blanketed in snow.<p>

As if responding to his memories, a wave of cotton rolled over the world. Had it been night the moment before? He glanced at the moon, high in the sky. It must have been. He felt as if he was among the stars, but from that vantage point none of the constellations looked familiar.

A light glowed in the library window. It flickered and danced: candlelight. Twilight Sparkle was up late, waiting for something. He didn't know what, but he hoped that it got there before her candle burned out. Macintosh didn't think that anypony should have to wait in the dark.

He beat his wings harder and found himself over Sweet Apple Acres, the trees bared to winter's chill. Strange how he couldn't feel its bite. The snow below him glowed with moonlight, a reflected reflection. He took a deep breath and savored the smell of baking apple pie. Granny must have been puttering around the kitchen.

"Isn't it amazing?" Rainbow Dash said. He wasn't surprised by her sudden appearance. "C'mon, let's race!" She took off without waiting for an answer, a rainbow trailing behind her. He gave chase, following her through rolls and dives. They wove between silver clouds and down between the naked limbs of the trees that were his whole life before she had come crashing into it.

The muscles in his wings burned with exertion as he struggled to keep up. Rainbow was just so fast, too fast for him. Every moment they raced, she gained distance on him. His wings beat against air that had become thick as molasses. "Keep flying!" she said, and he tried. He really did. But the air was solidifying into rock around his wings. Each flap was a struggle, and each one was even more difficult than the last.

He felt something give. The pain that tore through him was excruciating, and then he was falling. The wind that flew past him cut through his coat, his skin, his muscle, and froze his heart. He looked up and saw a pair of crimson wings still flapping a tired rhythm.

It hit him like lightning that of course he had lost them. They were never his to begin with. He tried to shout for help, tried to call Rainbow Dash's name, but the rushing air tore the sound from his throat and left him mute. Still, he struggled. His mouth formed words that never came. Then the ground was rushing towards him, and he knew it was the end. When he closed his eyes, a rainbow was burned against the backs of his eyelids.

"If you don't quit that caterwaulin' I'm gonna shut you up myself, and I don't care how hurt you are." Big Macintosh's eyes flew open. The phantom pain from his dream was washed away by the very real pain from his twisted back. "Calm down, Big Mac," Applejack said. "You were havin' a bad dream."

He looked around gingerly, trying not to move his back. Applejack was sitting on his bedroom floor reading a book. She gave him a mischievous smile. "Did you know you talk in your sleep?" she said.

"Nope," he said. His voice was rough from sleep and dehydration. "But if anything I said leaves this room, I'll kick you all the way from here to Canterlot, AJ, and that's a promise."

Applejack lowered her voice into a rumbling parody of his own. "Come back, Dash, I ain't fast enough!" She laughed. "I never reckoned I'd see you this dizzy over a mare."

"I'll show you dizzy," he grumbled. "When did the nurse leave?" He remembered Redheart arriving late at night and giving him a cup of something warm. Some sort of tea that smelled bad and tasted worse. Then everything got sort of warm and soft around the edges. He hadn't even noticed himself drifting off to sleep.

"Going on twelve hours now," Applejack said. "Whatever was in that medicine of hers really did a number on you."

"What did she say was wrong with me?" Applejack looked down at her book and didn't answer. His stomach fell. "Applejack," he said. He tried to swallow, but his throat was dry as sand and twice as thick. When he spoke, his voice was quiet. "What did she say was wrong with me?"

Applejack met his gaze for a moment, then looked away once more. "She said you, uh… you slipped a disc in your back, or somethin' like that. I told her what happened, and she said you probably beat it up somethin' good a day or two back. And when you spent all day haulin' that plow around, well… I guess it popped or somethin'."

Big Macintosh went cold. He had heard of ponies getting hurt like that. His uncle, Apple Turnover, had done the same thing, and it had taken months before he was back in applebuckin' shape. "You mean to tell me that I'm stuck in bed for… what, weeks? Months?"

"You ain't bedridden," Applejack was quick to reassure him. "You can still walk around. Matter of fact, Nurse Redheart said you'd get better faster that way. But it means no workin' for you until you're all better. How's it feelin' right now?"

It hurt bad as ever, but he wasn't about to say so. "I reckon it ain't all that bad," he said. Applejack narrowed her eyes. She wasn't buying it. "All right, so it's a bit sore," he hedged.

"Let me go fetch you an ice pack," she said. "It'll keep the swellin' down, and that'll help more than you'd believe." She trotted out of the room.

While he waited, Big Macintosh struggled to come to grips with his situation. Harvest was only a couple months off, and he wasn't sure what he'd do if he was laid up for a second season in a row. Probably go stir-crazy. What else did he have if he couldn't work?

What did it say about him that, without his work, he didn't even know who he was? He had never really thought about what else he would do. There was always something to be done at Sweet Apple Acres; the harvest, plowing, cleaning up snow, making repairs to the aged house. He was going to be there for his whole life, and he loved the idea. The family business. It tied him to the generations of ponies who came before him, and he was proud to be part of the tradition.

But maybe that was something good to think about while he healed. It was all well and good, following in Pa's hoofsteps, but maybe he could find room in his life for other things. Like Rainbow Dash.

Applejack returned with an ice pack wrapped in a towel. "This is gonna be chilly," she warned. "Where's it hurt the most?"

"About halfway down," Macintosh replied. "A little closer to my back legs than front." She slid the pack under him. It was freezing, but of course it was. After the shock of the cold had faded he noticed that the pain was already lessening. "Ohh, that is wonderful."

"Nurse Redheart said to leave that on for about fifteen minutes at a time," Applejack said. "You hungry? I can whip somethin' up in a jiff."

"I'm all right, thanks," he said. Applejack nodded and went to sit down by her book. "You don't have to sit around here all day," Macintosh said. "I'm sure you've got somethin' better to do than look after me from dawn 'til dusk."

"Well," she said, "I was gonna try to get out there and try to finish plowing the row you were workin' on when you came in, last night. You sure you'll be okay?"

"I reckon I'll manage," he said. He smiled. "I could never get to sleep with you watchin' me, anyways."

She snorted at his feeble joke, but he suspected it was more out of sympathy than actual amusement. "I'll get on out of your hair, then," she said. She picked up her book and made for the door. "I'm just a holler away."

"I'll give a shout if I have a need," he promised. She walked out, and he found himself alone. With the cold easing the pain in his back, he felt a lot less grim about his situation. So he'd be out of commission for a couple months. He'd find something to do with his time.

Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing. He'd find out who he was outside of Sweet Apple Acres. Now that he thought about it, there really wasn't any better time for it to have happened. He could focus on his new relationship with Rainbow Dash and see if there was really anything there. He really liked what he knew about her, but he was starting to realize just how little that was. "Just don't go getting' creepy on her," he warned himself.

He tried to follow that train of thought deeper. What did he really know about her, after all? She was competitive – he remembered watching her go head-to-head with Applejack during their Iron Pony competition the previous fall. She was really keen on flying, and loved those Wonderbolt ponies.

It wasn't much, but it was something to go on. He chuckled a little. There was never a better time for him to get to know somepony. It wasn't like he had anything else to do. He shifted experimentally and was pleased to find that the cold had numbed away the worst of the pain. He tugged it off and let it slide to the floor before the cold could get uncomfortable. It was settled, then. He'd take a day or two of recovery, then he'd take Rainbow out on a proper first date.

The thought filled him with a mix of happiness and guilt. He couldn't believe himself, getting to first base with a pony he hadn't even bought dinner for. True enough, it hadn't been him pushing the matter, but even so. Pa would have tanned his hide.

Pa had been on his mind a lot lately, and the thought put a sad smile onto the stallion's face. He wished he could talk to him. Tell him about Rainbow Dash and ask his advice, or ask him if they should look into planting a new sort of apple. He wanted his pa to clap a hoof on his shoulder and say he was proud of Macintosh. Of all of them, for holding up so well. It had been hard, sure, but they had made it work. Apple Bloom barely remembered their parents. She asked about them often enough, but Big Mac had never had the heart to tell her anything of substance. He told her they were gone. That wherever they were, they loved her, and so did he. Then he'd smile, ruffle her mane with a hoof, and shoo her out to play with her friends.

But she was growing up so fast. Maybe it was time. His thoughts were interrupted when the little filly herself came poked her head around the door. "Well hey there, Apple Bloom," he said. "What brings you 'round?"

"Ah just wanted to see if you were feelin' any better," she said. "Applejack told me not to bother you, but ah figure she can go an-"

He cut her off. "You ain't botherin' me one bit," he said. "I hope I didn't scare you or nothin'."

"O'course not," she said. "Ah knew y'were fine. Takes more than a skipped disc t'keep mah big brother down." She gave him that big smile, the one that was only for him and Applejack and Granny Smith. That was her family smile, he decided. He matched it.

"You're darn right," he said. "Shoot, if I were down for the count, who'd look after you and AJ? I can't just go puttin' all that on Granny Smith." He was expecting some off-hoof remark about how she didn't need anypony looking after her. What he hadn't expected was for her to hop up onto his bed and curl up next to him.

"Ah don't even wanna think about that," she said. "Yer the best brother a filly could ask fer." His throat tightened up. She must have been more worried than she let on to get all sentimental on him. She said something else, but her voice was muffled by the way she pressed against his side.

"What was that? Sorry, my head went wanderin'," he said.

"Ah love you," she repeated. Her voice was sleepy, and when he looked down he saw that she had let her eyes close.

He shifted and put his front leg around her, pulling the tired Crusader closer. "Love you too, sugarcube." He yawned. He hadn't really felt tired, but whatever Nurse Redheart had given him was still working its way through his body and he drifted off into a content slumber.

If the flying dream hadn't been obvious, this one certainly was. Even while he was in it, Macintosh knew it couldn't be real. For one, it was night, even though he had just closed his eyes on the late afternoon. For two, the stars that shone in through his bedroom window were brighter than he could have believed. The whole room was awash in brilliance. It turned his walls into brushed steel, his sheets into a cascade of silver cloth, and the pony beside him into an idol done up in marble. That was the third thing that simply couldn't be – Rainbow Dash was in his bed.

The Pegasus was stretched languidly beside him, having apparently pulled one of his legs around her shoulders when he was still in that dark place between awake and dreaming. He could feel her deep, regular breath against his skin. A breeze blew in through the window and played lazily with her mane, sending it fluttering in a gentle wave.

She shifted in her sleep, almost as if she had noticed the breeze. Maybe Pegasus ponies were just sensitive to wind. Or, more likely, it didn't have to make any sense because it was a dream. It sure was a good one, though. He settled farther down in his bed, careful not to stir her too much. When he stopped, her face was close to his.

"I'm gonna do this right," he whispered to her. "Dinner, movies, concerts, walks in the park. I'm gonna give you all that and more."

"Big promises," she slurred. He glanced at her to see that her eyes were cracked open. "Sounds nice. 'M not used to nice."

"What's that mean?" he said. He was sure that colts must have been tripping over themselves for a chance with Rainbow Dash.

"Nothing," she said. She gave a sleepy chuckle. "I'm half asleep; don't know what I'm saying."

He laughed. "You're half-asleep? I'm the one who's dreamin'."

She opened her eyes wider and turned her neck a little to get a good look at him. "I can't tell if that's the lamest pickup line ever or if it's more of that rustic farmpony charm of yours. Either way's cool with me." She kissed him on the cheek. This was a dream he wouldn't mind having again.

"Just statin' a fact," he said.

More of the sleep cleared out of her eyes. "You're not… no, it couldn't be… oh, Celestia, you actually think you're dreaming, don't you?" She laughed. Big Macintosh froze. Was it normal for a dream to question whether or not it was a dream? There was too much philosophy in there for him to think on it. "If you were dreaming, you wouldn't feel your back, would you?" Now that she mentioned it, he definitely could. The position wasn't as comfortable as it had been the moment before.

She pulled herself up a bit so that she was looking down at him. "And I'm totally sorry about that," she said. Her eyes were sad and sincere for just a moment before they turned wicked. "Maybe I can help make you feel better…"

She leaned in and kissed him more gently than she had before, their lips barely meeting. Macintosh felt the tension building between them, the desire to deepen the kiss. When he did, pulling her against him, he felt more than heard her sound of pleasure.

No dream could have felt that good.

* * *

><p>Sorry for another short update. I just felt guilty about not updating in almost two weeks and, well, this seemed like a good place for the chapter to end. Tell you what: would guys rather have more frequent short updates or less frequent longer updates? I wish I could do updates that are long and frequent, but that pesky life of mine keeps interfering. Not saying I won't try, but I want to know what the priority is for you: longer chapters or more frequent chapters?<p>

And yeah, I could go set up a poll on my profile, but that seems a bit frivolous for only two options.


	6. Chapter 6

"Just once, I'd like to wake up on my own time," Macintosh grumbled as he opened bleary eyes. Rainbow Dash's sleeping form was still pressed against his side. Her mouth moved slightly, forming words that weren't voiced. Gentle twitches from under her closed eyelids told him that she was still in the throes of some dream. A good one, he hoped.

But Rainbow wasn't what had woken him up. There had been some noise, just on the edge of perception. Something quiet and inconsistent, like rain that wasn't sure if it wanted to fall. A pattering like… tiny hooves. "Aw, heck," he said.

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the door to his room flew open. He hauled the sheets up over Rainbow Dash's head. She jerked awake, one of her hooves getting him in the side. He winced, certain they'd be discovered, but any sound she might have made was covered up by three excited voices calling out, "Cutie Mark Crusader Caregivers!" The fillies came bustling into the room, pulling behind them a cart laden with bandages, bottles, and other tools he couldn't make out from the precarious position he found himself in.

Rainbow Dash stiffened against his side. Of all the people to catch them together. "Apple Bloom told us about your injury, and we just had to try and help," explained the white unicorn filly. Sweetie Belle, he thought, but he wasn't positive. She beamed up at him from beneath a white paper hat. Someone had drawn a red cross on it in crayon. All three fillies wore similar hats.

"We're here to kick pain right in its flank!" cried the orange Pegasus, her purple mane sticking haphazardly out from under her hat. There was something in the curl of her lips that made the smile look somewhere between a grin and a snarl. Macintosh gulped. He wasn't sure if medicine was Scootaloo's calling or not, but if he was a betting pony he wouldn't have put money on it.

"Ah told mah friends y'were hurt, an' we rushed right over," Apple Bloom said. "Ah figured we could make y'feel better and git our cutie marks at th' same time!" Rainbow Dash shook gently against him and he realized she was barely controlling laughter.

"Uh, well," Macintosh began, "it ain't that I don't appreciate it, but I'm fine. Really." His smile felt shaky.

"Ah reckon that's just you bein' stubborn," Apple Bloom said.

"So, Big Macintosh, where does it hurt?" Sweetie Belle said, snagging a roll of bandages off the cart and moving towards the bed.

"Really, I'm okay," he insisted. "But you gals are awful nice, comin' over to cheer me up. I know, why don't you give me a few minutes to get ready, and then I'll take y'all into town for ice cream?

Apple Bloom's eyes lit up, and Sweetie Belle cheered. Macintosh thought he was in the clear until his eyes fell on Scootaloo. The purple-maned filly was having none of it. "Now you listen here," she said. "You're hurt and we're going to make you feel better. You got a problem with that?" She stalked towards him to emphasize her point.

It wasn't the first time Macintosh had failed to respond to somepony, but it was definitely the first time a pony that little had rendered him speechless. That one had fight in her, and in a few years' time she'd grow into a pony that bullies would do well to let be. When Apple Bloom stepped between him and Scootaloo, he almost sighed with relief.

"Hang on a sec," she said. "Y'can't make somepony let you take care of them. Y'gotta be gentle, talk 'em into it."

"That's crazy," Scootaloo shot back. "Sick ponies never know what's good for them. Sometimes you've just gotta get in there and help."

Rainbow Dash tapped his side. He glanced down and lifted the sheet just enough to get a look at her. She wore a wide, mischievous smile, just as he had thought she might. Her eyes moved towards the sound of the arguing fillies, flicked towards the window, and came to rest on his. She raised her eyebrows, asking the question without words. Should she make a break for it?

He gave the slightest shake of his head he could. There was still a chance he could talk them into leaving. Macintosh looked back up to see Scootaloo and Apple Bloom tussling. He could hear them shouting from inside the rolling ball of flailing legs and kicking hooves, but the words were lost in the ruckus.

"Aww, come on, girls," he said. He put as much discipline as he dared into the words. Apple Bloom didn't handle being told what to do too well, and he knew Scootaloo would be worse. That filly had had some hard times, or so he had heard. She kept her cards close to the vest, so nopony was positive what her story really was, but rumor had it that something had happened to her family before she showed up in Ponyville. Sweetie Belle added her concerns but whatever she said didn't make it to Macintosh's ears. Where the heck was Applejack? She must have heard the row.

While he pondered that, the fight slowly shifted towards the foot of his bed. He noticed in time to cry out and grab at the sheets, but the wrestling fillies got tangled in them and hauled them off the bed and onto themselves. Big Macintosh froze, horror in his eyes. Sweetie Belle's pale green eyes widened when she saw that Mac wasn't alone in his bed, but she couldn't seem to find any words to say.

Rainbow Dash had no such hesitation. The moment she realized their cover was blown, she shot out the open window and into the early morning sky. Macintosh leaned forward, edging his way towards a sitting position. Pain shot through his back, but it faded to a general ache when he stopped moving. "Now, you two knock that off," he said, getting out of bed and shambling over to stand over the fighting ponies. They stopped in mid-struggle, turning to look up at him. "Ain't nothin' worth fightin' your friends over, Applebloom."

She disentangled herself from Scootaloo. "We weren't really fightin'," she said, giving him the sad eyes.

"Yeah, we were just… y'know, roughhousing," Scootaloo said.

"Was that Rainbow Dash?" Sweetie Belle interjected.

"Rainbow Dash is here?" Scootaloo said, her eyes widening. She looked around, a big smile on her face.

"She's gone now," Sweetie Belle said in a voice that suggested it was the most obvious thing in the world. "But she was there a minute ago, I'm sure of it." She pointed at Macintosh's bed. "She was under the covers when you guys pulled them to the ground, but she flew out the window."

Macintosh tried to come up with a convincing story, but it turned out that he didn't need one. Before he could answer, Scootaloo and Applebloom started laughing. "C'mon, Sweetie Belle, you don't really think mah big brother would have a filly in his bed, do you?" Apple Bloom asked, mirth in her voice.

"Yeah, and even if he could pull it off, there's no way Rainbow Dash would waste her time with some colt," Scootaloo said.

"He could so pull it off," Applebloom said, defending her brother. "Him an' Rainbow Dash are datin' now, y'know."

"Baloney," Scootaloo said. "Rainbow Dash is way too busy thinking up awesome new tricks to have a coltfriend."

"Well Ah guess nopony told her that, 'cause she's datin' my brother!" Applebloom insisted.

"I'm telling you, she was there!" Sweetie Belle said.

"Was not!" Scootaloo cried.

"Was too!"

With a growl, Scootaloo tackled Sweetie Belle and the pair started fighting. "We ain't supposed to fight!" Apple Bloom said, and joined the fray. Macintosh shook his head and made his slow way out of the room.

Walking was uncomfortable, but his back only really hurt when he changed positions, and he was happy to see what close to twenty-four hours of sleep had done for him. He ambled into the kitchen and set about getting himself a bowl of oatmeal. Stuck to the box was a note from Applejack. While his breakfast cooked, he read:

_Hey there, Big Mac. Hope Apple Bloom and her little friends didn't cause you any trouble. I was gonna tell them to leave you be, but they looked so dang cute in their little hats. I just couldn't say no. I'm just writing to let you know where I'm at. Twilight Sparkle said she needed some help moving the furniture around in the library and asked if I'd help her out, so I'm heading over there. No, you can't help. Eat your oatmeal and take it easy. – AJ_

He scooped the oatmeal into a bowl and brought it over to the table, eating and thinking. He couldn't help move anything around, but maybe he could just pop over and say hello. Twilight had said she wanted to be friends, after all, and if Applejack was over there it couldn't get too awkward. Maybe Twilight had even heard back about any upcoming Wonderbolt shows.

A loud crash rang out from down the hallway leading to his room. "More like Cutie Mark Crusader Wrecking Balls," he said. That did it. Much as he loved Applebloom, and as well-meaning as she and her friends were, he didn't fancy a day spent in their tender care. He bolted down the rest of his breakfast, put the bowl in the sink to soak, and left before anypony noticed he was going.

The walk into town was slow, but peaceful. The sun had yet to reach its peak, but its light turned the hills of Ponyville into emeralds. He savored the warmth as it soaked through his skin and left his mind content and lethargic. He smiled at the simple pleasure of it. A pang of guilt ran through him when he thought about what a perfect day it was to be working in the fields. "All the more reason to get better," he said to the rising sun.

The long walk felt good in spite of the discomfort in his back. He hadn't realized how tight the muscles in his legs had grown until he got out and stretched them. Down the road he saw the Ponyville library, the sun hitting the branches of the hollow tree and throwing delicate patterns of light and shadow onto the ground around it. It had almost reached its peak, and more and more ponies were enjoying the noontime sun.

That close to his destination, Macintosh felt a rush of nervousness. Sure, Twilight Sparkle had said he should get to know Rainbow's friends, but should he really show up unannounced like that? He shook his head. No sense getting all worked up after taking the long walk into town.

He walked up to the door and gave a trio of hard knocks.

"I'll get it!" a voice he didn't recognize said.

The door swung open to reveal a tiny purple and green dragon. "Can I help you, uh…" his eyes tracked up Macintosh's body to his face, "…sorry, I don't think we've met."

"That we haven't," Mac said. "Name's Macintosh. Folks 'round here call me Big Macintosh, or Mac if you'd like. I ain't interruptin', am I?"

"Nothing important," Spike said with a dismissive wave. "Are you looking for a book?"

"Actually, I was hopin' I could talk to Twilight Sparkle," Macintosh said.

"Ohh, you're _that_ Macintosh," Spike said. He giggled. "You should hear what Twilight-woah!"

The little dragon was knocked out of the doorway by the mare in question. "Oh Spike, you're so clumsy," she said with a nervous laugh. Then she turned to Macintosh. "Good afternoon," she said. "What brings you here?"

"Well, Applejack left a note sayin' that she'd be around, so I thought I'd stop over and see if the two of you needed… well, if you wanted any company, anyways. I reckon I wouldn't be much good to you in a 'heavy lifting' capacity, but I'll help however I can."

"Thanks, that's really nice of you," she said. "We're just about done, but please come in." She stepped out of the doorway and led Macintosh inside. "Would you like anything to drink? Water? Tea?"

"Nah, I'd hate to impose," he said. "But thank you just the same." He looked around the library. Everything on this floor seemed attached to the ground, but if he was any judge the library had a floor or two above the ground one. "Shiftin' things around upstairs?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes, we were just moving some things around in my room. And it would be no imposition at all, really. Do you take your tea with sugar?"

He didn't take tea at all, but it would have been rude to turn her down after she insisted. "Uh, I suppose so, yeah. Thanks," he said.

Twilight bustled off into the kitchen to get tea and Macintosh went to follow. He sure as sugar wasn't about to let her do everything. Then he heard a throat being cleared at the top of the stairs. Macintosh turned to see Applejack standing at the peak – she locked eyes with him, then made a very pointed "get your flank up here" gesture with her head.

His interest piqued, Macintosh walked up the stairs. It wasn't like AJ to be secretive about anything, so whatever it was must have been important. "What's goin' on?" he said in a low voice when he reached the top of the stairs.

"We're gonna have to put a lock on that door of yours," Applejack said with a sly grin. "I mean, if you're gonna have mares spendin' the night and all."

"Wh- how'd you- uh, I mean, I have no idea what you're on about, AJ," he spluttered.

"I poked my head into your room to see if you needed anythin' before I left this mornin' and saw you two." Macintosh opened his mouth, but Applejack made a placating gesture with her front hooves. "Relax, I ain't tellin' you Rainbow can't spend the night. But I don't know if I'm ready to give Apple Bloom 'The Talk' just yet."

Macintosh's face and neck were on fire. "It was an accident, I never meant… and we didn't… we just fell asleep, I swear."

"You're both adults," Applejack said. She put a hoof on her brother's shoulder. "I'm just teasin' you. I ain't upset – the two of you can do whatever you please, so long as you're bein' careful. You… are, aren't you? Am I gonna have to get a banana and show you how a condom works?"

Macintosh rolled his eyes. "I think I can figure it ou- hey, since when are you the expert?"

It was Applejack's turn to blush scarlet, but Twilight Sparkle called up from downstairs before she said anything. "Macintosh? Applejack? The tea's ready!" Applejack slipped past him and darted down the stairs, hoping to avoid the conversation. Macintosh hoped there wasn't a colt whose flank he'd have to kick for doing wrong by his sister.

He made his way down the steps in a much slower, more careful fashion, so it was no surprise to find Applejack and Twilight already setting in to tea when he made it back to the open space that pulled double duty as both library stacks and living room.

"I'm actually glad you came to visit, Macintosh," Twilight said as he joined them. "Remember, you asked me if there were any Wonderbolts shows coming up?" He nodded, then sipped at his tea. It tasted distantly like citrus, but there was something almost spicy to it as well. He liked it.

"Well," Twilight continued, "as it turns out, there's going to be a Wonderbolts show a week from tomorrow in Canterlot." She smiled, obviously pleased to be delivering good news.

"Well I'll be," Macintosh said. "How's that for good timin'?"

"What's with your sudden interest in flight shows?" Applejack asked, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Gonna ask Rainbow Dash to go?"

"I thought it might be a nice idea for our first official date, yeah," he said. "Why? Do you think I should reconsider?"

"A trip to Canterlot as a first date just seems a little… I dunno. Desperate?" Applejack said.

"Codswallop," Macintosh said. "I'm sure she'd love it. Twilight said it wasn't a bad idea."

"It did sound awfully romantic," Twilight said. She sipped at her tea. "Would either of you like any more tea?"

"Yes please," the two farmponies said in unison. Applejack continued her side of the argument. "Look, I ain't sayin' that it wouldn't be sweet of you. Just… give it a little time. Don't go rushin' in. Your heart's in the right place, but you don't know Rainbow Dash like I do. Try too hard and she's just gonna look at you like some puppy that followed her home.

"Well, I ain't some slobbering mutt, and Rainbow Dash knows that," Macintosh insisted.

"How do you reckon?" AJ said.

"Reckon what? That she knows better?" he said.

"Yeah. You only just met." Applejack sighted. "I just don't want to see you gettin' yourself hurt because you're tryin' too hard."

Macintosh was ready to argue back, but their argument was cut off when the door slammed against the wall and Rainbow Dash all but exploded into the room, a huge smile on her face. "Oh my gosh! You guys won't believe what happened!" she said, her words rushing together. She beamed around the room.

"Whoa, there, sugarcube," Applejack said. "Slow down and tell us what's got you so riled up."

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath. "Okay, so, you know how I got to spend a whole day flying with the Wonderbolts after I won the Best Young Flyer's Competition? Well me and Spitfire – you remember Spitfire, right? – Me and Spitfire have been writing back and forth for a while and she just sent me a bunch of tickets to their show in Canterlot next week!" She drew in a deep breath and when she spoke again, she sounded a little more relaxed. "So do you want to go with me?"

"I'd love to," Applejack said, earning her a covert glare from her brother.

"That does sound like fun," Twilight said. "Are you sure it's okay?"

"Yeah!" Rainbow said. "Spitfire gave me six tickets." She turned her magenta gaze towards Macintosh. "How about you? You coming?"

Macintosh did a quick bit of math. "Thanks for the offer, but six tickets sounds like an invitation for you and your friends. I don't want anypony getting left behind to make room for me," he said.

"Way ahead of you," Rainbow Dash answered with a smug smile. "I already asked the rest of the gang, and everyone's going except Rarity. She said she had a big order to work on, or something like that. So if you don't come, we're going to have an extra ticket just lying around."

"Well… if you're sure you don't mind," he said, "I'd love to go."

"Awesome! I'm going to go write my reply to Spitfire. Catch you later!" And with that, Rainbow was gone as fast as she had come.

"Well I guess that settles that, don't it?" Applejack said. The smile she gave Macintosh practically screamed "You've got no choice."

He didn't really notice. His mind was still on what had just happened. Rainbow Dash had barely looked at him. Maybe Applejack was right, maybe he was getting ahead of himself. Making a mountain out of a mole hill. "I reckon it does," he said, not looking at her. "I reckon I should be gettin' home. Can't leave those Cutie Mark Crusaders to their own devices for too long. Not if I want to have a home to get back to."

"Oh, are you sure?" Twilight said. "You're welcome to stick around. We could play a game, or…"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Thank you kindly for the offer," he said. "And thanks again for the tea. I'll see you at home, Applejack. Goodbye, Miss Twilight." He left the library without another word.

* * *

><p>Macintosh took a winding path home, one that brought him through the center of Ponyville. The streets were busy with lunchtime traffic, but nopony ever seemed to be in a hurry and all it meant was an opportunity to greet seldom-seen acquaintances.<p>

He wasn't in as big a hurry to get home as he had told Applejack and Twilight, and he felt a little guilty about lying to them. Sure, it hadn't been a big lie, but he hated the idea that he might get into the habit of it. He just couldn't stand another minute with the mixture of teasing and pity he saw in his sister's eyes. He didn't want to act like nothing was bothering him around Twilight, who he knew would try to make him feel better. Their first real encounter had told him as much about her.

She really was a sweet kid. He would have to go to her for relationship advice if he ever found himself needing it in the future. He didn't expect she'd have much personal experience to fall back on, seeing as she was a bit of a bookworm, but he reckoned she'd have a lot of books on the subject. Maybe if he had asked for advice before, he wouldn't have almost made such a big early-relationship faux pas.

So he wouldn't take her to an airshow. That was fine. But he still wanted to take her out on a proper date, and the sooner or better. There were only a few choices in Ponyville; restaurant, café, or concert. He didn't know much about Rainbow Dash's musical tastes, but he was willing to guess that they wouldn't mirror his own. He enjoyed a nice, quick banjo. Something with a little guitar – not too much, but enough to back up the fiddle.

Who was the mare Rainbow had mentioned? Vinyl Scratch? Macintosh remembered the context of that discussion, and blushed. He didn't think he'd ever met her, but she had apparently seen him around. She was some kind of DJ, he remembered that. He wondered what her music was like.

"Bit for your thoughts?" said a female voice. It was low, rich, and full of laughter. Macintosh shook out of the daze he hadn't noticed himself slipping into. A unicorn mare with two-toned blue hair grinned at him from behind a pair of dark glasses.

"Beg your pardon?" Macintosh said.

"Dude, you were so spaced out you almost ran me over," she said, the smile never fading. "I thought to myself, 'Now what's that big fella thinking about that he doesn't even notice a head-on collision waiting to happen?' I had to ask." She fell in beside him and started walking the direction he had been going, and he moved to keep up.

"I am sorry, ma'am," he said.

"Oh, Celestia, don't call me 'ma'am' or anything like that," she said. "Make me feel old, why don't you? Instead of apologizing, lemme in on the big thoughts."

Macintosh hesitated. "Well," he drawled. "I don't know if I should really be discussin' it with a pony I just met."

"You can't leave me hanging like that! I'm all curious now. If you don't tell me, I'll be up all night tossing and turning." Her smile turned a little wicked. "And not in the fun, 'that sexy pony from down the street is over' kind of way."

He blushed and glanced over at her. She wasn't looking his way, but he had the strangest feeling that she noticed the blush and was deeply amused by it. "Uh, well, all right, then," he said. He was getting better at keeping the stammering to a minimum when he was flustered by some sort of unexpected comment, and he gave a wry smile.

"Yes! Okay, lay it on me Tall, Dark, and Country," she said. She glanced at him, but it was impossible to tell where she was really looking through those glasses. Her smile hadn't lost any warmth, so he supposed she didn't mean anything negative in calling him 'country.'

"Well, it's about a mare," he began.

"Isn't it always?" the odd mare said.

Macintosh chuckled. "Never was for me, not until her. See, she' the first filly I ever really…" he searched for the proper words, "…had feelings for. So I have no idea how this is supposed to work, but I told her that I like her and she likes me back. So now, we're… I dunno."

She nodded. "I see," she said. "So you're digging on this chick, but you have no idea where you stand. Have you gone out?"

"Not exactly, but she kissed me. I mean, she's kissed me, as in more than once."

"Nice," she said, drawing the word out. "So she totally wants your body. But something tells me that's as far as it's gone, right? And not because of her."

"You'd be right in guessin'," Macintosh said. "It ain't that I don't want to, but it doesn't feel right. I want to do things properly."

She sighed. "Of course you do. Does she understand?"

"I think so. She doesn't get mad when I put the brakes on."

"Yeah, but does she know _why_ you put the brakes on? I mean, have you talked about it?"

He thought about it. "No, I suppose not," he said. "So you're sayin' I should go talk to her, tell her how I feel?"

"No way, man. I mean, someday, sure. But leave the heavy conversations for after you've dated for a while. Have fun! Take her out to dinner. Take in a show. Sounds to me like you're overthinking this whole mess."

He laughed. "You sound like my sister."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," she said. "Applejack's great. I would've been screwed if she hadn't helped me move my gear to a venue a while back." He turned to her, mouth open to speak, but she silenced him with a laugh. "That's right, I know who you are, Big Macintosh." She bumped playfully against his side. "Some manners you have, not even asking a girl her name!" He stopped and faced her fully, noticing for the first time the music note cutie mark on her flank and connecting it with the words "gear" and "venue."

"I see you're piecing it together," she said. "Name's Vinyl."

"I'm sorry, Miss Vinyl, I should have introduced myself properly," he said.

"Ugh, what did I say about making me feel old? Call me Vinyl, or Scratch." Her smile went wicked again. "Or, if this mare of yours doesn't work out, you can call me later." It didn't matter how much practice he had gotten, that comment still brought forth a fresh wave of nervous stammering. She laughed again, the sound a bell ringing in the afternoon air. "I'm kidding, Mackie-boy. I heard about you and Rainbow getting together the other day and, when you didn't recognize me, I couldn't resist playing with you. That was good advice I gave you, though! If you want to be with Dashie, you've got to cool your jets and let it play out naturally."

He chuckled. Something in her demeanor made being upset with her impossible. "I'll bear it in mind," he promised.

"Good. Rainbow deserves a good stallion in her life, and it sounds like that might just be you. And, don't worry – I won't tell her anything we talked about. If I even see her before you tell her yourself, I mean," Vinyl said.

"I appreciate it," Macintosh replied. Their talk had left his mind more at ease than it had been. "I should be getting off home," he said.

"That's cool. Catch you 'round," she said with a slight nod of her head.

"So long," he said, and beat a more direct path back to Sweet Apple Acres.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Thank you all for reading! It's been wonderful to get your feedback. From what I've heard, people prefer these longer chapters, so that's going to be my goal from now on. I should be wrapping things up within the next handful of chapters: prepare yourselves for cutesy romance, high-flying fun, and (finally) some real drama. See you next time!<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Before we get into chapter seven, I just wanted to apologize for the break in updates. I can make excuses until I'm blue in the face; talk about school, about work, about everything else that's going on in my life. But at the end of the day, I let you guys down and I'm sorry. This story is not dead, it was just resting. Thanks to everyone who stuck with me.

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><p>The following week passed in almost unbearable slowness for Big Macintosh. Rainbow Dash was called away to Cloudsdale for an annual weather team training seminar, and Mac missed her more than he had thought he would. He passed the time as productively as he could, and in doing so made a pleasant discovery: he had a real knack for paperwork.<p>

"Applejack, you got the sales reports from last year around here somewhere?" he called as he rummaged through the desk in his pa's old office. If he couldn't help out on the farm proper, he could at least go through the family's finances and make sure that everything was in order. Granny Smith had done it for years, but with her advancing age it was getting harder and harder for her to make out the small print on the documents. Applejack had taken over the year before, but she didn't have their father's head for figures.

"Should be in there somewhere," Applejack answered.

"Well it ain't," he answered. He kicked the big desk; it was, of course, made from a fallen apple tree. The wood had a faint rose color and, when Macintosh closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself, he caught a whiff of the wood's faint, sweet scent.

Applejack poked her head around the corner. There was a patch of flower pale against her coat. "I'm busy helpin' Granny Smith with these pies," she said. "It ain't that you takin' such an interest in the finances is bad, but I can't be stoppin' to look in on you every five minutes." The irritation in her voice vanished when her eyes finally stopped on him. "Are you wearing Granddad Almata's reading glasses?"

The wire-framed spectacles looked silly on his large face, he was sure. Their grandfather had been a good sized earth pony, but Macintosh was the first in generations to reach the massive size that he had. He shot Applejack a scowl, the strength of which was doubtless diminished by the glasses.

"Yeah, well, turns out my eyes are fine for workin' the fields, but not so good at readin' fine print. But I don't need fashion advice," he said, "I need to know where you put last year's financial reports." Applejack laughed and crossed the room. She grabbed the handle of a filing cabinet drawer and gave a tug. Papers seemed to explode out of the top of it when she gave them room to expand.

She chuckled nervously. "Er… it's in there somewhere, promise," she said. He heaved a sigh. "Uhh, what was that, Granny Smith?" Applejack said, her eyes darting left and right. "Sorry big brother, duty calls." And with that, she darted out the door and back into the kitchen.

Macintosh turned to fully face the drawer in question, bursting with papers. He had never been envious of a unicorn's magic before, but he knew the feeling as soon as it struck him. There was nothing to it but to get started, and he attacked the project with as much optimism as he could.

An hour later, he had the whole drawer in order and the document in question was resting on the desk. "Jeez, AJ, did you fill this thing out with your eyes closed?" he muttered under his breath. It looked more like a hoofball play than a report; circles, lines, and x's marked the whole thing. He was thankful he had stopped by the stationary store in town to pick up fresh paper and ink. Macintosh glanced back and forth from the old document to a fresh one, unsure of where to begin.

"Start at the top, Pa always said," Macintosh said, "that way it's all downhill from there." He lifted a pencil carefully in his mouth and began copying the figures over. Granny Smith had made darn sure he could write well when he was still a little colt. She had always been there reminding him that, no matter how big and strong he got, there was more to a farm than pulling the plow.

It turned out that Applejack's math had been off, and by quite a bit – the farm brought in a lot more bits than she had record of, the last year. Most of their bits went right to a bank in Canterlot, so they never really saw the coins. He smiled. Granny Smith might be getting that new hip sooner rather than later. He crumpled the old report and carefully filed his new one with the rest. He felt energized. Work was work, and he had always depended on that to get him by. He'd have to remind Applejack that his "fancy mathematics" were good for more than keeping her from working herself to death, but first he decided he deserved a nice walk. Macintosh slipped the glasses off his face and left them on the desk where he could easily find them again.

He blinked in surprise when he stopped outside to find the sun had gone down. The east window on the office wall had been in shadow since a bit after midday, so he had lit candles and let them burn all afternoon. The night air had a pleasant chill to it, and he set off into the darkness without purpose or direction, letting his heart pick each turn.

His hoof splashed into the spring before he realized where he had walked to. The warm water flowed gently around it as he finally took in his surroundings. It was the same hot spring Rainbow Dash had shown him the first night they had spoken.

He smiled at the memory. That had been a wonderful night, even if the accident had led to some serious complications in his life. He slipped into the water and let the heat seep through his skin. It didn't seem so bad, looking back on it. He missed working the field, sure, but he was happy. Really happy. He had friends, now, and a blossoming romance to boot. And it would only be a few more weeks before he was good to go – plenty of time to get ready for the autumn harvest.

Macintosh took a deep breath and submerged himself completely. He held it as long as he could, letting the soft current tug at his mane and nudge him back and forth. The peace of the place was going a long way towards relaxing away the anxiety of the long wait for the show. They would leave the next morning, and it would be fun, he was certain.

The breath Mac let out when he surfaced carried all of his frustrations with it. When he climbed out of the pool and gently shook himself off, he felt like his old self. It was a good feeling.

* * *

><p>Applejack and Macintosh arrived at the library, the predetermined departure point, just as the taxi carriage to Canterlot was pulling to a stop. "Good timing," Twilight Sparkle said as they, along with the two mares Mac assumed to be Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, stepped inside the vehicle. The yellow Pegasus greeted them with a demure smile, but the pink earth pony's exuberance was enough for two.<p>

"Oh my gosh!" she said. "It's so good to see you again, Big Macintosh!" He couldn't remember ever having met her, but she continued before he had a chance to say anything. "This is going to be the best trip ever. We're going to have tons of fun. It's great that you and Rainbow Dash have finally gotten together; I knew it was only a matter of time." She nodded sagely, a smile on her face.

"What do you mean?" he said. The carriage started moving.

"Oh, well, whenever one of my best friends is going to start dating somepony new, my face does this," she explained. Pinkie demonstrated the face in question, and Mac wondered if it hurt. It must have. "And Applejack was telling me about how you were doing a really good job clearing brush away for new rows of apple trees, it did it again! And I just knew that you were going to be with Rainbow Dash."

"But that was last spring," Mac protested. "There's no way you could have known for that long. Heck, I hadn't even met Rainbow back then."

"Don't question the Pinkie Sense," Twilight said. "Trust me, there's no fighting it. How is your back feeling?"

"Better every day," he said, "thanks for asking. Give me another month and I'll be buckin' apples like nopony's business."

The carriage shook a bit as it started moving, beginning the four-hour ride to the capitol city. Macintosh took a seat next to Rainbow Dash and pressed his side affectionately against hers. She returned the gesture and flashed him a smile, but staying in one place didn't agree with her.

"I hope they feature Spitfire again," she said. "She's got this awesome move where she goes like this," and Rainbow tried to demonstrate, but the confines of the carriage kept her from actually flying. To compensate, she provided sound effects.

Macintosh smiled, then turned to the only pony he hadn't been introduced to. "I reckon you must be Fluttershy," he said, nodding in her direction. She made a squeaking sound and ducked her head, her mane falling in front of her eyes. "I'm Macintosh. Pleased to meet you." He extended a hoof and Fluttershy carefully returned the gesture. Her movements were hesitant, so Macintosh did his best to put her at ease with a soft, firm hoofshake.

"Y'all did a great job with the music at the Summer Sun Celebration," he said, remembering that Fluttershy had been conducting the songbirds that announced Princess Celestia the previous summer.

"Oh, um… thank you," Fluttershy said, not meeting his eyes. He waited to see if she would say anything else, but she had apparently spoken her piece on the subject. Macintosh looked around. Rainbow Dash was engaged in a colorful discussion with Applejack and Pinkie Pie, explaining the intricate details of something called the Fantastic Filly Flash.

Macintosh settled back and looked out the window, watching the scenery roll by. He didn't know what else to say, but that suited him just fine. He spent the rest of the trip enjoying the countryside, speaking whenever somepony addressed him but otherwise getting lost in his head. It was nice enough that Rainbow ignoring him almost didn't sting.

It was frustrating, but he told himself that he understood. It wasn't that she didn't want to pay attention to him. She was just excited about the show, and it was easier to gush to her friends. His stomach twisted into a nervous knot and he took a few deep breaths to try and dispel it. He wasn't going to get all worried over nothing. The knot remained.

* * *

><p>Canterlot always took Macintosh's breath away. He had only been to the city a couple times in his life, and never for the fun of it. It was always business, and he never took the time to absorb the sights. Even so, he had always known the city was impressive. This time he let his eyes wander and the city's tall towers and gleaming streets almost overwhelmed him.<p>

"Come on," Rainbow Dash said, "we've only got an hour before the show starts!" She took wing, flying ahead before realizing that there was no way the rest of the group could keep up. "Ugh, can't you guys go any faster?" she said, exasperation in her voice. She flew impatiently around them as if it might urge them along.

"Oh, look!" Twilight exclaimed, pointing to a building. "There's Joe's donut shop! Oh, and Barns and Stable – they have the best book selection in all of Canterlot." She craned her neck, looking around for other familiar businesses. She pointed out a café. "I love that place – the pony who runs it, Cappie, makes espresso that's just amazing."

It made Macintosh smile to see her so excited. As much as she might have loved Ponyville, Canterlot was her home town and it was easy to see how much she missed it. Rainbow Dash heaved a great sigh. "We can sightsee after the show," she griped. Applejack shot her a look – Macintosh was sure it would have stripped paint off the side of the barn – and Rainbow Dash smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Twi," she said. "I just don't want to miss anything, you know?"

"Of course," Twilight said, nodding. "I completely understand. There will be plenty of time once the show is over." She smiled, and kept her excitement a little more contained as they continued towards their destination.

Any worries Rainbow Dash had about being late were unfounded – the stadium turned out to be a ten-minute walk from where their carriage had dropped them off. The six ponies arrived with plenty of time to spare and, when Rainbow flashed their tickets, they were each given a special pass to wear around their necks and escorted to a VIP booth.

Macintosh took up a spot at the end of a row, hoping that Rainbow Dash would settle in beside him. Pinkie Pie settled into the open spot and promptly started asking him questions at such a quick speed that he could only make out half of her words. Of course, that made it hard for him to answer, but she didn't seem to notice or mind. She continued to talk, and it blended into the background noise of the crowd. He made sure to look at her and nod, occasionally offering up a non-committal answer, but his attention was down the row.

Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash were sitting side by side, leaning together and whispering. Twilight giggled, looked up at Macintosh, and then went back to whispering. "I doubt that's a good sign," Macintosh said.

"What did you say?" Pinkie Pie asked, stopping mid-sentence.

He gulped. He hadn't meant to say anything out loud. "Uh, I said- oh, look, the show's starting." Sure enough, the Wonderbolts were making their way onto the grassy ground of the stadium floor.

Even over the roar of the crowd, Mac could hear Rainbow Dash naming them. "That's Spitfire, and the blue stallion's Soarin, and the other guy is Thunderbird, and Blue Angel is the mare on Soarin's other side," she said, all in one breath. Her mouth kept moving, as if naming the other two Pegasi, but the announcer had started speaking and her words were lost to the bass rumble of his voice.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts," he boomed, "put your hooves together for the Wonderbolts!" They all bowed and waved. The yellow and orange mare – Spitfire, Rainbow Dash had called her – looked right at Dash and said something to the rest of the team. They all turned in her direction, smiling and waving. The gray stallion called Thunderbird tossed her a wink and a rakish smile before pulling his goggles down.

Rainbow Dash was blushing furiously when Mac turned his eyes towards her; though from the wink or the greeting in general he couldn't know. The thought filled him with jealousy, and he fought it down. It wasn't her fault if other stallions winked at her.

Then the announcer spoke again. "Wonderbolts, are you ready?" he said, his amplified voice echoing around the stadium. They all got into position as the crowd roared. Then, as one, they took to the sky and the show began.

* * *

><p>"That. Was. Awesome!" Rainbow Dash said as the applause died down. The show had been much more enjoyable than Macintosh had expected. He had always though flying would be fun, but the Wonderbolts had made performing into an art form. "Like the part where Spitfire- and then Soarin went like- and then they all-" The sentence, if Mac could call it that, ended with a high-pitched squeal.<p>

"How about that tour?" Twilight suggested, once Dash had caught her breath.

"Sounds good, but I want to go and try to find Spitfire before we go," Dash said. "I've gotta congratulate her after an awesome show like that."

"Um…" Fluttershy said, "and I was hoping I could go apologize to the little critters in the royal garden…"

"There's a sweet shop down the road that has the biggest cupcakes I've ever seen!" Pinkie Pie said, her eyes starry and her mouth watering.

Twilight laughed. "I think those were just regular cakes, Pinkie. Okay, then how about we meet up at the coffee shop I pointed out earlier?" she said. The words had barely made it out of her mouth before Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie sped off, the momentum of their passing spinning Macintosh.

He shook his head and looked around, but both ponies were out of sight. "I reckon RD would go bonkers if she took her time doin' anything," Applejack said. "What d'you say, Big Mac? Fancy a trip to the gardens with me an' Fluttershy?"

"Thanks, but I think I'll try findin' Rainbow and keep her company," he said. Part of him just wanted to make sure that that gray stallion didn't try any funny business, but he'd never admit to it out loud. "Y'all have fun."

"Suit yourself," AJ said. "C'mon Fluttershy, let's get goin'." They walked off towards the castle.

"I'm actually going to go with them," Twilight Sparkle said. "I want to say 'hello' to the princess while I'm in town. See you at Cappie's."

"So long, Twi," he said, picking up his sister's nickname for the purple unicorn. He waved goodbye, and she smiled at him before turning and trotting after Fluttershy and Applejack.

Macintosh looked around, trying to remember in which direction Rainbow Dash had run off. He shrugged and picked a hallway. He figured his VIP pass would keep him out of trouble even if he did wander somewhere he wasn't supposed to be.

The hallways were long and twisted, but it wasn't long before he heard Dash's excited voice echoing down to him. He couldn't make out the words, but he smiled all the same. It made him happy to know that she was so thrilled. There was an open door ahead and on his left.

Macintosh glanced into the room and saw that, sure enough, Rainbow Dash was there with the Wonderbolts. She was talking excitedly to Spitfire and Soarin, but none of that caught his attention. His eyes were on Thunderbird as the gray stallion sidled up beside Dash and, in a smooth motion, put one wing over her back.

All the jealousy Mac had been fighting came back in a rush. The world turned red and hazy at the edges. Before he realized what he was doing, Macintosh charged into the room and crashed skull-first into Thunderbird, catching him between the eyes and sending him sprawling to the floor.

"Macintosh?" Rainbow Dash said, her voice squeaking. "What in the-"

"Dude, what's your problem?" Thunderbird said, climbing back up to his feet and shaking his head. "Where's security? Somepony get this jerk outta here." Rainbow shouldered him aside to better square-off with Mac.

"Who the hell do you think you are, storming in here and hitting him like that?" she shouted.

"I think I'm the stallion you're seein' is who I think I am. I ain't gonna stand by and let that rat get away with touchin' all up on you," Macintosh growled. His eyes were still on Thunderbird. The gray stallion backed a few feet farther away under the heat in Mac's eyes.

"So you tackle him?" Rainbows voice was rising in frustration. "I can take care of myself. If I didn't want his wing on me I could have knocked it off. And I don't mean 'off my back,' I mean 'off his body.' He was just being friendly."

"I'll show him friendly." Macintosh finally looked back to Dash and went cold when he saw the hurt and anger in her eyes.

"Whoa, hey guys, let's just take a breath," one of the Wonderbolts said. He approached slowly, giving Mac plenty of time to recognize Soarin's blue mane and green eyes.

"Keep outta this, pretty boy," Mac said.

"And now you're snapping at my other friends too," Rainbow said. "Real mature."

"Well, with friends like them, I guess you don't need me, do you?" His stomach rolled and his knees went weak. He felt like he was going to be sick. Dash opened her mouth to say something, but Mac realized that he couldn't bear to hear it from her mouth. He couldn't listen to her confirm his suspicions. Of course she preferred Thunderbird to him. Of course she's better off with the Wonderbolts than with their other friends.

He turned and galloped out of the room.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note

Sorry for the long wait, everyone. A huge "thank you" to all of you who are still paying attention to this story, in spite of my unannounced two-month hiatus. Without further ado, have some more story!

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><p>Macintosh's gallop slowed to a dejected march when he had put the stadium far behind him. What a fool he had been, reacting like that. He had never realized that he had it in him to hit somepony without a darn good reason. But then, he had never felt jealousy like that. In a rare moment of self-indulgence, Big Macintosh wandered the streets of Canterlot and felt sorry for himself.<p>

With no destination in mind, he was surprised to see that his hooves had carried him to the coffee shop Twilight Sparkle had suggested for their meeting. The lamps on each table threw cheerful light through the windows that made up the majority of the building's front. Mac thought it looked crowded, though he didn't really have a point of reference. At a table towards the back of the open room was a familiar purple unicorn.

The bell above the door gave a jingle as he pushed it open, and Twilight looked up. A smile blossomed on her face when the stallion made his way to her table. "I'm not too early, am I?" he said, taking up a spot across the table from her.

"Of course not, Macintosh," Twilight said. She waved to the unicorn behind the counter, who nodded and levitated a cup of coffee and a saucer over to the table. Mac took a sip and relished the bitterness of the brew.

"How'd he know I take it black?" Mac said.

"Cappie is really great at getting a feel for somepony and what they like," Twilight explained. "I don't know if it's magic or if he's just good at reading ponies, but I've never seen him get it wrong." She sipped her own drink, and an uncomfortable silence fell across the table. Mac looked around, taking in the unfamiliar setting.

Ponies occupied most of the tables; some played cards, some stood by themselves and scribbled away at scrolls, some read books, and some just seemed to be soaking up the ambience. His eyes fell back upon Twilight, who smiled again. He tried to match her expression, but he couldn't manage much enthusiasm. Her smile fell away when his pitiful attempt came to an end.

"Is something the matter?" she said.

Macintosh sighed and took a sip of his coffee. He thought about lying. It would be easy to tell her everything was fine, and he knew she'd drop the subject. He also knew she wouldn't believe him for a heartbeat. "It's a bit of a long story," he said.

"We have plenty of time before I'd expect the others to show up. Applejack and Fluttershy were having a pretty in-depth discussion with the palace groundskeeper when I left, and even Pinkie Pie will take a while eating her way through all the sweets in Canterlot." She giggled at the thought.

"Well… truth be told, Rainbow Dash and I had a bit of a fight," he said, deciding to jump right in.

"Oh no!" Twilight put a hoof to her mouth. "I'm sorry, Big Macintosh. What happened?"

He told her his side of things, leaving nothing out. Not even his out-of-line reaction, tempting as it had been to forget that little detail. "So I ran outta there before it could get worse," he finished, staring at his cooling coffee. "I just thought it'd take more than some flashy Wonderbolt to mess up what Rainbow and me had."

"Well…" Twilight said. There was hesitation in her voice. "I really don't know if it's so bad."

Mac just shook his head. "I appreciate you tryin' to make me feel better, but I know what I saw."

"Is there any chance that it could really just have been a friendly gesture?"

"You didn't see the look on his smug face." Mac drank the rest of his coffee in one long pull. It had cooled more than he liked, and he grimaced a little. "The way he looked at me when I walked in. Like the cat that ate the canary."

"I think it might have just seemed worse than it was because you were upset," she suggested.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he said. Twilight flinched. "Aww, I'm sorry, Twilight. It ain't right of me to go snappin' at you, just 'cause I'm upset." He looked away, guilt on his face.

"It's okay, really," she said. She bit her lip and glanced around. "If I tell you something, will you promise not to tell anypony?" He nodded and she continued. "Before the show started, Dash and I were talking about… well, about you. It was nothing bad!" she said, when he looked up with a jerk. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but Rainbow Dash is scared."

"Her? Scared? Of what?" The thought of Dash being scared of anything didn't mesh in Mac's head.

"Your relationship isn't like anything she's had before," Twilight explained. "She's gone out with other stallions before. Some mares, too, but she told me that it's never gotten so intense so quickly. It's scary for her and she doesn't know what to do, so she's been acting more forward than she might otherwise do. You know, more, um… aggressive." Twilight's cheeks turned red.

Macintosh was about to answer when the bell above the door range. He and Twilight looked towards the door to see a visibly shaking Rainbow Dash in the doorway. "You," she said, jabbing a hoof towards Macintosh. "Outside."

He swallowed hard and glanced at Twilight, who gave him a weak smile, then walked towards Rainbow Dash like a pony on his way to execution. And, he figured, he'd probably deserve it. The pegasus led him around the side of the building and into an alley, then laid into him without ceremony. "What gives you the right to pull a stunt like that?" Mac didn't have an answer, but she didn't wait for one. "Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was? I won't be able to look the Wonderbolts in the eyes ever again!"

She paced back and forth. "And what got into you, hitting Thunderbird like that? The Macintosh I met that night out at Sweet Apple Acres never would have done anything like that." She poked him in the chest with one hoof, hard. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

The jealousy bubbled back up and Mac's mouth was moving before he was aware he had anything to say. "Well excuse me for gettin' upset, seein' some other stallion touchin' you like that," he said. "Maybe I overreacted, but he was way outta line! Look, if you'd rather be with him, I ain't stoppin' you." he said. His voice was thick with emotion.

"It doesn't matter what he does!" Rainbow spun away from him and growled. "It doesn't matter what anypony does but me. Thunderbird can flirt with me all he wants, but that's no reason to get jealous unless you think I'm some gullible little filly just waiting to get swept off her hooves. That's the worst thing about this! Sure, you acted like a jerk, but what really hurts is that you didn't trust me." She groaned in frustration. "This is pointless. I need space."

"Dash, wait," Mac said, but the pegasus took to the sky and vanished before he could get a sentence out. "I'm sorry." The words fell on empty air.

"I guess that didn't go well?" Mac looked up to see Twilight Sparkle standing at the end of the alley. "Sorry, I wasn't listening in. The windows rattled when Rainbow took off, so I thought it might be safe to come see what happened."

"She took off, is what happened," he said, his voice low. Everything had been fine that morning and had fallen apart as the sun dropped to the horizon. Thunder rumbled from somewhere above them, and Mac almost laughed at how appropriate a storm would feel. Something to blow through his life and leave him feeling cold.

"I'm so, so sorry," Twilight said. She walked up to Macintosh and gently pressed against him. The first drops of rain fell on their backs.

"I reckon it'll be okay," he said, though his voice lacked conviction. "No sense worryin' about me."

"Don't be silly," Twilight murmured. She pressed harder into his side for a moment, a pressure as comforting as it was brief.

"It's over, and there ain't no sense in letting it hurt me."

"That's what love does, Macintosh." The words surprised him, and he glanced at Twilight in confusion. Tears rimmed her eyes and mixed with the building rain as it ran down her cheeks. "Sometimes you care for somepony, and it hurts for whatever reason, but that doesn't make it bad. It hurts because it's real. Because good things that don't come to be hurt. You can run from the pain but that just tarnishes what you had. Or what you wish you had." She gave a wistful smile, and Macintosh put it together.

The way she had come out to see if he wanted to talk, after the blow-out between Applejack and Rainbow Dash. The crestfallen look she got when he told her he was seeing Dash. The way her smile never arrived quicker than when her eyes found him. Twilight liked him. Her talk of love, and what she wished she had, made sudden sense.

Without a single thought, he leaned down and kissed her. It wasn't deep, or passionate, or long. Twilight pulled back with a sigh after a brief moment. "You didn't mean that," she said. Her voice was sad. "It was nice, but I'm no foal. You're hurt, alone, and I guess it's no real secret that I had a crush on you. Have." She smiled. "I'm not the mare you want to kiss, and we both know it."

Mac's face burned. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over… I don't know why I did that," he said. "I'm so, so sorry. It was a mistake."

Twilight gave a sad laugh. "You don't have to apologize to me. I had thought about what it might be like, kissing you. But it's sort of like you told Rainbow Dash: if you're going to kiss me, it should be because you want to, not because you feel alone and you can tell I want it." She took a few steps away from him. "Now get out of here. Go find the mare you really want to kiss right now." She nodded to the end of the alley and gave him an expectant look.

"I don't deserve a friend like you," he said.

"Friends aren't something you deserve, they're something you earn." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "Actually, that could make a good letter to the princess. Now why are you still here? Go after her!"

* * *

><p>The rain was pounding down around him as Macintosh ran through the streets of Canterlot. "Rainbow!" He shouted the name at the top of his considerable voice. "Rainbow Dash, where are you? Please, I need to talk to you!"<p>

He stopped to catch his breath under the glow of a streetlight. "Somepony is going to call the guards if you keep on like that," said a voice from above him. He jumped and looked up to see a soaking Rainbow Dash perched on top of the light. She floated to the ground next to him. "What's all the screaming about? I thought I told you I wanted space."

"You were right," he said.

"Huh?"

"You were right about me bein' jealous," he clarified. "I was such an idiot, I never should have assumed anything."

"You're darn right you shouldn't have! Loyalty is kind of my thing, Macintosh. It's my Element of Harmony, for crying out loud. When you get jealous, it's like you're saying that you think I'm not going to stay true to whatever we have here."

"I never thought about it like that," he said. "You've gotta believe me."

She sighed. "Look, if I didn't want to be with you I never would have gotten into anything with you. I'm just asking you to trust me."

The full force of his guilt finally hit Macintosh in his gut. "I do trust you, Dash. But you can't trust me half as much."

She eyed him suspiciously. "What are you talking about?"

It came out in a rush. "After you flew away, Twilight came out to talk to me, and she was tryin' to make me feel better, and it didn't mean anythin' but I… I kissed her." He expected to catch a hoof across the jaw, but Rainbow Dash only stared at him. "It was stupid – _I_ was stupid. I just felt so damn alone, and hurt, and she was there. I'm sorry. I really, truly am."

"I can't believe you," Rainbow said, her voice soft. "After everything you did out of jealousy, you turn around and kiss my friend?"

"I know, there's no excusin' it. This is all so confusin'."

"It really is. And there really isn't." That was when the sucker punch came. Her hoof caught him on the right side of his face and drove his head to the side. He staggered to keep his balance and felt a twinge in his back that he knew would catch up with him later. "That's for kissing Twilight." Then she put a hoof on either side of his face and pulled him into a kiss. "That's for coming clean."

"I don't understand," he said. His jaw ached, and he figured he'd have a heck of a bruise.

"Don't think for a second that you're in the clear," she said. "I'm pissed, and we're gonna talk more about this." She gave him the first smile he had seen her wear since the show got out. "There's more to trust and loyalty than never messing up. You fessed up. You admitted you were wrong and that you had no excuse. Taking responsibility like that is a good first step down the long road to getting back on my good side." She kissed him again, softly. "Come on, you big idiot, let's go meet up with our friends. You can show me how sorry you are later."

There were a thousand things Macintosh wanted to say as he and Rainbow Dash walked, side by side, back towards the coffee shop. He wanted to apologize over and over again. He wanted to tell her how grateful he was that she'd give him another chance after everything he had done. He wanted to swear up and down that he'd never make another mistake so long as he lived. He wanted to tell her that he cared for her, that he might love her one day, and that he'd always do his best to make her happy.

Instead, he settled on, "Eeyup."

* * *

><p>Author's Note<p>

And that's a wrap, everybody. Some of you might be disappointed with this resolution. You might feel like I let you down, and if you do, I'm sorry. But damn it, you all deserved an ending. Thank you so, so much. Seriously. Thank you. Everyone who wrote a review, everyone who added my story to their favorites, and everyone who read two sentences and decided they didn't like my story. It's been an honor and a privilege.

Yours in friendship,

-Quill Inkwell


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